'Hidden' photons could shed light on mysterious dark matter
By Robert Lea published 1 day ago
A new experimental technique placed constraints on a potential candidate for dark matter called 'dark photons.'
interconnected pinkish filaments form a spiderweb pattern against a dark-blue background
A visualization of dark matter filaments in the cosmic web that stretches between galaxies. (Image credit: EAGLE Project)
A new method could help scientists shed light on the universe’s most mysterious substance by narrowing down the hunt for a particular dark matter candidate — hidden "dark photons."
Dark matter comprises around 85% of the matter content of the universe, yet because it doesn’t interact with light or does so only very weakly, it remains effectively invisible. The fact that dark matter doesn’t seem to interact electromagnetically means scientists know it can’t be made up of the atoms that comprise the "normal" matter that makes up stars, planets and our bodies.
The mystery of dark matter is such a pressing problem for scientists because it means the matter we see comprises just 15% of the stuff, not including energy, in the cosmos. This has led to the search for potential dark matter candidates, such as so-called "hidden" or "dark" photons.
Dark photons were initially suggested as a dark matter candidate because, theoretically, they would weakly interact with ordinary photons, meaning they could have played a role in heating up the early universe. This action would explain why the cosmic web, a large-scale structure in the universe linking together galaxies, was hotter than predicted when observed by the Hubble Space Telescope.
More:
https://www.space.com/hidden-dark-matter-candidate-photons