Researchers from the University of Lyon in France believe that dark matter, the elusive material that makes up the majority of the mass in the Universe, could be made up of massive particles called gravitons that first popped into existence in the first moment after the Big Bang, or cosmic particles from extra dimensions. Based on the data, these particles may have been created in the perfect quantities to explain dark matter, which can only be viewed through its gravitational pull on ordinary matter. Read more for a video and additional information.
The researchers discovered these hypothetical gravitons while search for evidence of extra dimensions, which some physicists purport exist alongside the observed three dimensions of space and the fourth dimension, time. That’s right, when gravity propagates through these extra dimensions, it then materializes in our universe as large gravitons, interacting weakly with ordinary matter via the force of gravity. This lines right up to what we know so far about dark matter thus far.
- POWERFUL TELESCOPE FOR ASTRONOMY BEGINNERS: The AstroMaster 114EQ delivers sharp optics, a stable equatorial mount, and smooth manual controls, making...
- HIGH-QUALITY 114MM OPTICS: Enjoy views through the 114mm (4.5”) Newtonian reflector, which features high-quality aluminum and SiO₂ coatings and...
- SMOOTH, ACCURATE POINTING: Effortlessly aim and center your target using the two slow-motion control knobs for right ascension and declination whether...
The main advantage of massive gravitons as dark matter particles is that they only interact gravitationally, hence they can escape attempts to detect their presence. Due to their very weak interactions, they decay so slowly that they remain stable over the lifetime of the Universe,” Cacciapaglia said, “For the same reason, they are slowly produced during the expansion of the Universe and accumulate there until today,” said Giacomo Cacciapaglia, a physicist at the University of Lyon in France.
