Dark-matter annihilations should produce gamma rays exclusively, ruling out interactions that involve other forms of radiation.Supersymmetry predicts that WIMP annihilations will create gamma rays of particular wavelengths, distinct from those generated by other sources such as black holes or supernovae.To differentiate between the two, researchers have established a set of four guidelines: The trick will be distinguishing gamma rays produced by dark-matter annihilations from those generated by numerous other sources in the Universe. If dark matter is in fact composed of WIMPs, this clumping would improve the chances of these particles meeting and annihilating, producing steady streams of gamma rays detectable by GLAST’s Large Area Telescope. Ted Baltz, a Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC) researcher who also works on GLAST, adds, "GLAST has the real possibility of making a fundamental contribution to understanding what galaxies are made of."Įven though dark matter interacts much more weakly than ordinary matter, dark matter is not spread out evenly through space and should form clumps in and around galaxies. "With GLAST, we hope to actually see individual dark-matter annihilations," says theoretical physicist Michael Peskin of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC). Credit: Sky & Telescope / Gregg Dinderman. ![]() If neutralinos exist, the LAT might see the gamma rays associated with their demise. Image right: According to supersymmetry, dark-matter particles known as neutralinos (which are often called WIMPs) annihilate each other, creating a cascade of particles and radiation that includes medium-energy gamma rays. If they succeed, this discovery will help solve one of astronomy's grandest mysteries. Using GLAST, scientists hope to find these high-energy signatures of dark matter in our galaxy. When two WIMPs interact, they annihilate each other and release a flurry of secondary particles as well as gamma rays. Such particles are predicted by supersymmetry, a theory that extends the highly successful Standard Model of particle physics.Īccording to supersymmetry, WIMPs act as their own antimatter particles. But current theory suggests they can also come from WIMPs, which are massive particles that do not emit or absorb light. Gamma rays originate from a multitude of high-energy sources, such as black holes and exploding stars. But with GLAST, scientists may finally find clear evidence that dark matter is indeed made of WIMPs. ![]() The leading candidate that might explain the fundamental make-up of dark matter is a hypothetical particle called the weakly interacting massive particle, or WIMP. The identity of dark matter - the mysterious stuff that makes up about 22% of the Universe’s energy contents - continues to elude scientists decades after they first inferred its existence.
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