91av

Space

Black holes + dark matter = light

By Kate Mcalpine

25 August 2010

91av. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Dark signs from Centaurus A

(Image: NASA/CXC/SAO/M.Karovska et al)

TWO of the darkest things in the universe may be making light – or at least, radiation. When jets spat out by a supermassive black hole at the centre of a galaxy collide with dark matter, they could produce gamma rays detectable from Earth – possible evidence of the elusive dark stuff.

Jets of particles are propelled away from black holes at near the speed of light. Akin to a cosmic belch, they are thought to be connected with matter falling into the black hole. of the University of California,…

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