The unexpected discovery of "New Horizons" was associated with dark matter

The researchers presented simulation results that show that the presence of dark matter could

explain the unusual brightness of the cosmic optical background. The decay of axions—particles of dark matter—into photons is consistent with observations made by the New Horizons spacecraft beyond the orbit of Pluto.

The cosmic optical background is radiation invisible range of the spectrum, which corresponds to all objects located outside our galaxy. Due to the many light interferences, it is very difficult to measure from Earth. The most accurate data to date have been obtained by the New Horizons probe, which, after flying around Pluto, went to the outer limits of the solar system.

In the absence of the bright glow of the Sun and diffuseradiation from planets and other objects of the Solar System, the spacecraft's instruments measured the cosmic optical background. It turned out that it is twice as bright as theoretical models based on estimates of the brightness of known objects in the Universe suggest.

The scientists' initial hypothesis was thatAn excess of radiation is given by so far unknown galaxies and stars located outside the Milky Way. In the new work, the researchers showed that an alternative model that includes hypothetical dark matter particles better explains the discrepancies identified.

An axion is a hypothetical particle that has beenintroduced to explain the inconsistencies of quantum chromodynamics. It is assumed that such particles decay into two photons. In their work, the scientists showed that axions with masses between 8 and 20 eV could explain the excess flux at a certain decay rate.

Understanding possible mass rangeshypothetical particles helps to refine the methods of their search. Although so far this is only a theory, in their work, scientists offer experimental methods that could test its accuracy, confirm or disprove the existence of particles with desired properties.

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