Researchers from the Australian National University have found an explanation for the mysterious gamma-ray signal from the galactic center, which has long been said to be a signal of dark matter. These rays are known as a form of electromagnetic radiation with the shortest wavelength and highest energy.
Study co-author, Associate Professor Roland Crocker, said that the gamma-ray signal, known as a “galactic center surplus”, actually comes from a specific type of fast-spinning neutron star.
Crocker explained: “Our study provides a signal source based on millisecond pulsars, which are neutron stars that rotate very quickly, about 100 times per second. Scientists have previously detected gamma-ray emissions from individual millisecond pulsars in the vicinity of the Solar System.
“Our research model reveals that the emission is from a whole group of 100,000 stars, and the discovery means that scientists have to rethink where to look for clues about dark matter.”