For many years, astronomers have acknowledged that there is a black hole in the center of our Milky Way galaxy. It cannot observe itself, because it absorbs all matter and energy, but its existence is evident in the nature of the bodies around it – its gravitational pull bending space and affecting the motion of stars and other objects.

However, in a new study, scientists show that the same type of reactions can occur in a completely different body – and if its existence is accepted, it could even lead to a logical explanation of some of the observed abnormalities.

The secret of the immortal cloud

The first doubt about whether the giant black hole is located in the center of our galaxy dates back to 2014. At the time, astronomers noticed that a gas cloud called G2 was very close to the black hole Sagittarius A *. The reaction was destroyed by the gravitational pull of the black hole and then absorbed.

But that did not happen – instead, the gas cloud was moving in an amazing way without much reaction to the object. Explanation? We do not, one astronomical team agreed, one after the other.

The authors of the new study speculate that the G2 cloud may have survived the orbit around Sagittarius because Sagittarius A * is not just a black hole. Instead, it is a place with a high concentration of dark matter.

They confirmed this in the Milky Way simulation, where there is dark matter instead of Sagittarius A * *. The results of this simulation show that the behavior of the Milky Way as a whole remains unchanged, even if there is a black hole or dark matter at its center. It differs only in a few details, such as a collision with a gas cloud.

So far, this is only a theory that can be quickly refuted in the future through further research, but at the same time it is a remarkable alternative view of a phenomenon that is difficult to observe. Also, replacing a black hole with dark matter raises more questions than answers – no one knows what it should be.

A universe full of secrets

Physicists speculate that dark matter contains some elementary particles that have existed since the time of the Big Bang. However, it has not yet been discovered – so the only evidence of its existence is indirect; Based on the observation of its gravitational effects. It can only be detected by the effects of gravity on light, called gravitational lenses. Astronomers study dim light from distant galaxies that are distorted or curved by the gravitational pull of dark matter in the foreground.

However, this effect is very strong because a quarter of all matter in the universe is dark matter. According to repetitive radiation levels, the universe now contains 23 percent dark matter, and only 4.8 percent of the normal (baryon) mass that comprises most of the matter we know of. The rest of the universe – 73 percent, the largest part – is even darker and darker.

Some astronomers searched the sky for other circumstantial evidence of dark matter particles. Many theories assume that when a pair of these collisions collide, they must destroy each other – this reaction produces particles that are normally observable. There are even the first observations of something like this from the center of our galaxy, where the density of the dark matter must be the densest – it is not clear whether this is a reaction of the dark matter or something like a neutron star.

Based on the simulation, the authors of the new work suggest that dark matter may contain particles with fermion-like properties. Scientists professionally call this imaginary particle Darkino.