A recent study conducted by an international team of astronomers claims that the gamma-ray glow coming from the Milky Way might be produced by pulsars. Previously, the source of the pulsing lights was thought to be dark matter.
According to Astronomy, pulsars are the fast-spinning cores of collapsed ancient stars that were once 30 times more massive than the sun. The researchers used data from the Large Area Telescope on NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. In the process, they examined the central part of the Milky Way, where the glows are located.
Indeed, the evidence that proves pulsar cause the light show in the said galaxy puts the existence of dark mater into further doubts. Until now, no concrete evidence of that black force has been recorded. For the record, dark energy is said to be responsible for 85 percent of all matter in the universe.
Mattia Di Mauro, the lead researcher, said in previous press releases that mankind does not need the idea of an invisible dark force to understand the gamma-ray emissions in the galaxy. Di Mauro is from the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology. Instead, the expert added, they have identified the pulsars that may explain the formation of the Milky Way.
To better illustrate, dark matter is one of the biggest mysteries in modern physics. While scientists believe it exists and it bends light from distant galaxies and affects how galaxies rotate, they do not know its exact composition. Nevertheless, per Science Daily, the majority of experts say that it is made up of "yet-to-be-discovered" particles that almost never interact with regular matter other than through gravity. One way to document this strange material is when the particles decay or collide and destroy each other.
The said collisions are believed to produce gamma rays. Gamma rays could also come from supernova remnants. Lastly, the fact that scientists can still see gamma rays from the identified pulsar population today suggests that the pulsars are in binary systems with companion stars.
