Space & Astronomy

Experiment detects hints of dark matter

By T.K. Randall
April 6, 2013 ·  8 comments

Image Credit: NASA The $2 billion experiment is tasked with surveying the skies for high-energy particles in an effort to help scientists understand the formation of the universe. Sometimes referred to as the 'Space LHC' after the Large Hadron Collider, the AMS has detected possible evidence of a process known as "annihilation" which is thought to occur when dark matter collides with itself. It isn't clear if this is definitely what has been picked up but it does offer tantalizing new details in the hunt for proof that dark matter exists.

"It could take a few more years," said deputy spokesman Roberto Battiston. "But the accuracy that AMS is displaying is far greater than past experiments, so we're getting closer to unveiling the cause of the particle events we're detecting."[!gad]The $2 billion experiment is tasked with surveying the skies for high-energy particles in an effort to help scientists understand the formation of the universe. Sometimes referred to as the 'Space LHC' after the Large Hadron Collider, the AMS has detected possible evidence of a process known as "annihilation" which is thought to occur when dark matter collides with itself. It isn't clear if this is definitely what has been picked up but it does offer tantalizing new details in the hunt for proof that dark matter exists.

"It could take a few more years," said deputy spokesman Roberto Battiston. "But the accuracy that AMS is displaying is far greater than past experiments, so we're getting closer to unveiling the cause of the particle events we're detecting."

Source: BBC News | Comments (8)

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