Dark matter is a big mystery in our universe, especially around the center of the Milky Way galaxy. Recent simulations suggest that this dark matter isn’t shaped like a round ball, as many scientists once believed. Instead, it’s flattened. This new insight could explain a puzzling glow of high-energy gamma rays that astronomers have been trying to understand for over a decade.
Moorits Mihkel Muru, a researcher from Germany and Estonia, shared that the Fermi space telescope detected an unusual number of gamma rays coming from the galactic center. There are different theories about what causes this extra radiation, but no one has reached a full conclusion yet.
Initially, scientists thought the glow might be from dark matter particles colliding and disappearing, which would release energy as gamma rays. But this theory lost traction because the predicted round shape of dark matter didn’t align with the flattened gamma-ray observations.
In a study published in Physical Review Letters on October 16, Muru and his team revisited the idea that dark matter might be spherical. They used advanced simulations known as HESTIA, which model the Milky Way in a realistic cosmic setting. Their findings showed that gravitational interactions and past galactic mergers could flatten dark matter, giving it a shape more like an oval.
“This was a big shift in thinking,” Muru explained. Since the gamma rays now seemed to match the shape of dark matter, they couldn’t rule out that dark matter might indeed be the source of the glow.
Gamma rays are extremely energetic and often come from violent cosmic events. Despite understanding many known sources, the glow from our galaxy’s core remained a mystery. Some scientists link this to dark matter, which makes up most of the universe but is not directly observable.
Moving forward, stronger observational tools are needed to separate the dark matter theory from other explanations, like millisecond pulsars, which are rapidly spinning neutron stars. New telescopes, such as the Square Kilometre Array and the Cherenkov Telescope Array, are being developed to explore these questions further. If they detect many pulsars, that will support the pulsar theory. If the gamma rays remain smooth, it will lend credibility to the dark matter explanation.
As the debate continues, each new discovery brings researchers closer to solving this cosmic puzzle. The revised understanding of dark matter’s shape opens up more possibilities about what lies at the heart of our galaxy and may ultimately help us unlock the secrets of dark matter itself.
With ongoing research and advancements in technology, scientists are optimistic about making significant discoveries in the near future. Understanding dark matter could reveal much about our universe and its formation, making this an exciting time for astrophysics.
