Astrophysicists propose a fascinating concept to unravel two cosmic enigmas: the origin of high-energy radiation emanating from our galaxy’s center and the nature of elusive dark matter that has perplexed scientists for half a century. Dubbed “gravity portals,” this idea posits that when two dark matter particles are drawn into these portals, they annihilate each other, generating powerful gamma rays.
Dark matter, comprising over 80% of the universe’s matter, eludes detection as it doesn’t interact with light. It was postulated to explain the unexpected speed of galactic rotations. Unlike ordinary matter, dark matter’s presence is revealed through gravitational effects. The proposed gravity portals offer a novel perspective, suggesting dark matter particles can annihilate through gravitational interactions, transforming into high-energy leptons, or electrons.
Observations of excessive gamma rays from the Milky Way’s center spurred this theory. Gamma rays usually result from high-energy events like supernovae, yet the galactic center exhibits more gamma rays than expected. The proposed mechanism involves high-energy leptons colliding with photons, generating detectable gamma rays. These leptons, being tiny and undetectable, might originate from dark matter transformations.
The linkage between dark matter and the excess gamma rays is termed “leptophilic gravity portals.” Gravity, primarily understood as an attractive force, may hold surprises on quantum scales. While gravity typically pulls, in extreme cases, it might bring two dark matter particles together, annihilating them and producing leptons. This theoretical model postulates that dark matter particles transform into leptons through gravitational interactions in “gravity portals.” The dense galactic center could host more of these interactions, generating high-energy electrons that later collide with photons, producing the observed excess gamma rays.
This concept, while speculative, aligns with the observed gamma rays. In the quest to unveil dark matter’s identity, novel ideas like gravity portals pave the way for theoretical exploration. While the proposed mechanism is a stretch, it introduces avenues for further theoretical scrutiny and testing. As physicists grapple with the mystery of dark matter, innovative concepts provide valuable insights and potential avenues for future discovery.