Mysterious dark matter existence finally proven for first time

The enigmatic existence of dark matter has been perplexing for scientists as it, for decades, remains stubbornly hidden from telescopes.

In a recent breakthrough, scientists from Johns Hopkins University believe that they have finally proved the existence of mysterious dark matter occurring in the universe.

The researchers in a study have observed mysterious gamma-ray glow coming from the Milky Way galaxy. As per the team's observation, the gamma-ray emission is a key to unravel the mystery of dark matter.

The researchers have come forward with two theories, trying to discern whether the light comes from colliding particles of dark matter or spinning neutron stars.

The first theoretical explanation revolves around collision among dark matter particles aggregated in the galactic region. The second explanation relates the gamma-ray emission with the class of neutron stars, called millisecond pulsars. These stars emit light across the electromagnetic spectrum during spinning hundreds of times per second.

Cosmologist Joseph Silk of Johns Hopkins University and one of the authors of the study published on Thursday in the journal Physical Review Letters, said "Understanding the nature of the dark matter which pervades our galaxy and the entire universe is one of the greatest problems in physics.”

According to Silk, if one of these explanations are really proven right, this could be the first definite proof regarding the existence of dark matter.

"Our key new result is that dark matter fits the gamma-ray data at least as well as the rival neutron star hypothesis. We have increased the odds that dark matter has been indirectly detected," Silk added.

Dark matter in the universe possesses elusive nature as it neither absorbs nor emits any light. It makes up 27 percent of the universe while dark energy accounts for the remaining 68 percent.

"Because dark matter doesn't emit or block light, we can only detect it through its gravitational effects on visible matter. Despite decades of searching, no experiment has yet detected dark matter particles directly," said study lead author Moorits Mihkel Muru of the University of Tartu.

According to researchers, the world’s most powerful ground-based gamma-ray telescope which is still under construction in Chile, will be able to offer the right explanation by differentiating the emissions from these two sources.

The telescope is expected to become operational in 2026.