2024-06-16 06:00:10
A new theoretical study suggests that our planet could be bathed in an ocean of dark matter, and that waves from this invisible ocean could generate radio waves detectable in our ionosphere. This discovery could revolutionize our understanding of the dark matteran ever-mysterious component of the Universe.
For several decades, astronomical observations have suggested the existence of dark matter, whether in the rotation curves of galaxies or in the formation of structures gigantic of the Universe. Attempts to replace this theory by alternatives to the gravity have so far failed, convincing most astronomers that dark matter is an unknown form of matter that interacts very little with the light or normal matter.
Among the hypotheses explored, dark matter could be composed of massive particles, although research has so far revealed nothing. An alternative is that it is extremely light, in the form of theoretical particles called “axions”, or exotic photons with a small mass. This incredible lightness could lead to unusual behaviors, where dark matter would behave more like large cosmic waves than isolated particles.
A recent study published on the arXiv preprint server explores models of ultralight dark matter that would interact very rarely with normal matter. These interactions could sometimes produce radio waves when dark matter encounters plasma and their frequencies coincide, creating a resonance that would amplify these interactions.
The universe is filled with plasma, but this new research has identified Earth’s ionosphere as a hot spot.interaction potential. This hot, thin layer of theatmosphere upper layer is composed of ionized particles and could allow dark matter waves to generate barely detectable radio waves.
To detect these waves, the researchers plan to use a radio antenna tuned to search for a specific frequency over an entire year. The ionosphere is particularly promising because it naturally reflects many radio waves from deep space, reducing interference. In addition, it is easily accessible and already well studied, facilitating the implementation of this technique.
Although this research is still in its early stages and the observation technique could take years to perfect, it could provide insights into dark matter. If successful, this method could unveil one of the most mysterious elements in the Universe, right above us.
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