arXiv: new class of dark matter particles proposed
Scientists at the Institute of Theoretical Physics in Madrid have proposed the existence of a new class of particles known as WIMPs (weakly interacting massive particles). This is reported in the article, published on the arXiv website.
According to the results of the study, the detection of antinuclei in cosmic rays is associated with the possible annihilation of WIMP. Annihilation is a process in which two dark matter particles annihilate each other, releasing energy and other particles.
To test the hypothesis, scientists used data from the AMS-02 experiment located on the International Space Station. This experiment detects cosmic rays, and recent observations have shown unexpectedly high amounts of antinuclei, especially antihelium. According to calculations, standard interactions of cosmic rays could not create such a number of antiparticles.
The study showed that the number of detected antihelium particles significantly exceeds predictions based on known astrophysical phenomena. This could indicate the existence of WIMPs or even more exotic particles that have not been observed to date.
However, the data also indicate that the proposed WIMP models can only explain a portion of the observations. For example, the discovery of antihelium-4, a heavier isotope, requires revising existing theories and adding new, more complex particles.
So, while the existence of WIMPs cannot be ruled out, scientists will need to make more observations and revise theoretical models to better understand these strange phenomena and perhaps find clues to the nature of dark matter.
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