Scientist says he is first person to ever ‘see’ dark matter
Astrophysicist makes claim about never-seen-before substance in space
- An astrophysicist from the University of Tokyo, Professor Tomonori Totani, claims to have captured the first direct evidence of dark matter.
- Using Nasa’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, he detected specific gamma rays produced when dark matter particles 'self-annihilate' in the universe's centre.
- Dark matter, which constitutes 85 per cent of the universe, was first theorised in 1933 but has remained unobservable due to its elusive properties.
- Professor Totani suggests this discovery indicates dark matter is a new particle not included in the current standard model of particle physics.
- His findings were published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics but require independent verification from other researchers.