Scientists may have detected evidence of dark matter lurking in the shadows of the universe using the help of incredibly fast-spinning neutron stars, according to new research.
These objects, called pulsars, are highly magnetized, rotating neutron stars that emit beams of electromagnetic radiation out of their magnetic poles, which can appear as pulses of radiation at very regular intervals when observed from Earth.
Using these stars as cosmic "timekeepers," researchers from the University of Notre Dame may have detected hidden masses of dark matter, according to new research being presented this week at the National Astronomy Meeting at the University of Hull in the United Kingdom.
Pulsars are formed from the remnants of massive stars that have ended their life cycles in supernova explosions. When a star with a mass between about 10 and 25 times that of the sun exhausts its nuclear fuel, it undergoes a supernova explosion, leaving behind a dense core. If the conditions are right, this neutron star becomes a pulsar.
Pulsars rotate extremely rapidly, with periods ranging from milliseconds to a few seconds. The rapid rotation is a result of the conservation of angular momentum as the core collapses. These rotations are very regular, with their periods stable over long timescales, making them incredibly precise clocks. This makes them useful for studying general relativity and detecting gravitational waves.
"Science has developed very precise methods to measure time," John LoSecco, study co-author and astrophysics researcher at the University of Notre Dame, said in a statement. "On Earth we have atomic clocks and in space we have pulsars."
Therefore, if a pulsar is seen varying in its rotation, this indicates to scientists that there is a massive object in between us and the pulsar that is bending and slowing the light coming from the pulsar due to its huge gravity.
"While gravitation has been known to slow down light for more than a century, there have been very few applications so far," LoSecco added.
According to the new research, the scientists watched pulsars across the universe for variations in the timings of these pulsars, which implies that there is a large invisible mass concentrated in the darkness of space.
"We take advantage of the fact that the Earth is moving, the Sun is moving, the pulsar is moving, and even the dark matter is moving. We observe the deviations in the arrival time caused by the change in distance between the mass we are observing and the line of sight to our 'clock' pulsar," LoSecco said.
The data from 65 pulsars that were studied indicates the presence of mass that could be hidden dark matter, the researchers suggest.
Dark matter is a form of matter that does not emit, absorb, or reflect light, making it invisible to current electromagnetic observational instruments. It constitutes about 27 percent of the universe's mass-energy content, and is only known to exist due to its gravitational effects on visible matter, radiation, and the large-scale structure of the universe.
"One of the findings suggests a distortion of about 20 percent of the mass of the sun," LoSecco said. "This object could be a candidate for dark matter."
He added: "The true nature of dark matter is a mystery. This research sheds new light on the nature of dark matter and its distribution in the Milky Way and may also improve the accuracy of the precision pulsar data."
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