New experiment to ‘capture’ dark matter could unravel mysteries of the universe

SciTechDaily

Researchers at the University of Nottingham have developed a new method using a 3D-printed vacuum system to detect dark matter and potentially reveal the nature of dark energy. The system manipulates the gas density and uses ultracold lithium atoms to probe the effects of scalar fields, with the aim of observing domain walls: defects formed … Read more

Infrared light high in Jupiter’s atmosphere may be colliding dark matter particles

Diagram of H3+ production in Jupiter. Aurora H3+ emission near the magnetic poles is caused by precipitating electrons, and extreme UV radiation from the sun irradiates the day side and dominates H3+ production near the equator. No significant H3+ is expected at low latitudes on the nightside, making it an ideal DM signal area. Credit: … Read more

A major SmartThings update brings support for appliances, robot vacuums and more via Matter

Samsung SmartThings looks to become the first major smart home platform to fully support Matter 1.2. According to a press release, the SmartThings platform now works with Matter 1.2, so manufacturers and developers can start integrating their compatible devices with the platform. The SmartThings app won’t be updated to support Matter until later this summer … Read more

‘Motion-picture’ method reveals shape of Milky Way’s dark matter halo

In this artist’s impression, the galactic disk warp “dances gracefully” under the torsion of the dark matter halo. Credit: Hou Kaiyuan and Dong Zhanxun of the School of Design, Shanghai Jiao Tong University An international team has developed a “motion-picture” method to measure the precession rate of the Milky Way’s disk curvature. Using a sample … Read more

Rare form of quantum matter first created with molecules

Scientists have produced a rare form of quantum matter known as a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), which uses molecules instead of atoms. These BECs consist of cooled sodium-cesium molecules and are as cold as five nanoKelvin (approximately -459.66 °F). They remain stable for as long as two seconds. “These molecular BECs open up new areas of … Read more

Wild theory suggests dark matter could make stars immortal

Stars near the center of our galaxy could be forever fueled by dark matter, according to a team of astronomers who recently studied the distant light sources. Florida family sues NASA over home damaged by space debris The group of stars, known as S-cluster stars, are located just three light-years from the center of the … Read more

‘Immortal stars’ could feed on dark matter at the heart of the Milky Way

A dark golden sphere with dark red circles radiating from it

“All good things must come to an end.” That saying applies both in the cosmos and on Earth. We know that stars, like everything else, must die. When they run out of the fuel needed for nuclear fusion in their cores, stars of all sizes collapse under their own gravity and die, forming a dense … Read more

Dark Matter Clue? Mysterious Substance May Interact With Itself in Nearby Galaxy

telescope photo of a dozen satellite galaxies of our milky way, which shines in the background

A galaxy floating next to our own some 380,000 light-years from Earth could provide new clues in the 90-year search for the nature of dark matter, the invisible glue that holds galaxies together. This mysterious substance accounts for more than 80% of the mass of the universe, but has not yet been directly observed. Scientists … Read more

Clue for dark matter? In a nearby galaxy, a mysterious substance may be interacting with itself

A galaxy orbiting next to our own about 380,000 light-years from Earth could provide new clues in the 90-year search for the nature of dark matter, the invisible glue that holds galaxies together. The mysterious substance is responsible for more than 80% of the universe’s mass, but has yet to be directly detected. Scientists say … Read more

Missing black holes in the Milky Way are bad news for this dark matter theory

A blue sphere with a cone of white extending from it leading to a reversed cone of a cloud of blue and purple strands

Scientists have discovered that unusually large black holes appear to be absent from the Milky Way’s diffuse outer halo. The discovery could spell bad news for theories that suggest the most mysterious form of “stuff” in the universe, dark matter, consists of primordial black holes that formed in the first moments after the Big Bang. … Read more