Mysterious signal from the center of the Perseus Cluster unexplained by known physics
Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory to explore the Perseus Cluster, a swarm of galaxies approximately 250 million light years from Earth, have observed the spectral line that appears not to come from any known type of matter. The signal they received can not be explained by known physics but they say it shifts suspicion to the dark matter.
Perseus Cluster a collection of galaxies and one of the most massive known objects in the Universe, immersed in an enormous 'atmosphere' of superheated plasma. It is approximately 768 000 light years across.
Perseus Cluster. Image credit: Credit: NASA / Chandra
"I couldn't believe my eyes," says Esra Bulbul of the Harvard Center for Astrophysics. "What we found, at first glance, could not be explained by known physics."
"The cluster's atmosphere is full of ions such as Fe XXV, Si XIV, and S XV. Each one produces a 'bump' or 'line' in the x-ray spectrum, which we can map using Chandra. These spectral lines are at well-known x-ray energies."
Yet, in 2012 when Bulbul added together 17 day's worth of Chandra data, a new line popped up where no line should be.
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http://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/2014/07/25/mysterious-signal-from-the-center-of-the-perseus-cluster-unexplained-by-known-physics/
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Pun intended. I can't even begin to understand this. Please someone explain the implications in lay terms. Thanking you in advance.
Thanks so much, Takket. Love science but I'm all about biology. Physics is a difficult concept for me. Your effort is appreciated.
