We don't have a lot of evidence and concrete data about dark matter but we know that it makes up much of our universe, so how can we even study something that cannot be perceived let alone manipulated? Well, it appears that scientists have found a way to observe dark matter with the help of the stars.
Scientists have found evidence that dark matter can be heated up and moved around, as a result of star formation in galaxies. The findings provide the first observational evidence for the effect known as 'dark matter heating', and give new clues as to what makes up dark matter. The research is published today in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
In the new work, scientists from the University of Surrey, Carnegie Mellon University and ETH Zürich set out to hunt for evidence for dark matter at the centres of nearby dwarf galaxies. Dwarf galaxies are small, faint galaxies that are typically found orbiting larger galaxies like our own Milky Way. They may hold clues that could help us to better understand the nature of dark matter.
(Image credit: J. Read et al./Phys.org)