The bulge of our galaxy is an intense source of gamma-ray line, indicating the production of a large number of positrons that annihilate. A controversial study of mysterious surplus of energetic particles called cosmic rays strikes the Earth. The origin of the source is still debated but the detection of this excess may help scientists figure out what produces these enigmatic high-speed particles. Even though there is no actual technical application for these observations, but there is the possibility for scientific advancement through the HESS Collaboration.
HESS has observed high-energy gamma rays coming out of the Galaxy Center region and wanted to interpret them to see if the gamma rays were produced by dark matter. Looking through the data and performing calculations, members of the HESS Collaboration worked to determine if the 2004 gamma ray observation could be attributed to a dark matter source. After interpreting some scenarios, including analysis of spectral shape, the source of gamma rays remains unclear. The observed gamma rays cannot be explained in such a way as to show that dark matter is their only source. However, a part of the observed emission could be dark matter, and the team calculated how large the fraction might be.
The most stimulating thing about this is that it could not only crack one of the fundamental problems of cosmology but also open a window into particle physics not accessible with the energy of present human-made accelerators. The prospects that we really find dark matter is not that high, but the scientific advance would be tremendous. So it’s worth looking for in cosmic gamma rays.
Via: physorg
