A Box-Shaped Heart at the Center of the Milky Way? Scientists Are Stunned by What They Found
A Mysterious Glow from the Galactic Center: What’s Behind the Gamma-Ray Excess?
In 2009, astronomers using NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope noticed something puzzling — the center of our Milky Way was glowing brighter in gamma rays than expected. This strange overabundance of high-energy light became known as the Galactic Center Excess (GCE).
Two leading theories have emerged to explain it. One points to thousands of hidden milli-second pulsars (MSPs)—rapidly spinning neutron stars buried deep within the galactic bulge. The other blames dark matter annihilation, where invisible particles destroy one another, releasing bursts of gamma radiation.
Now, a new study led by Moortis Muru and researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) adds a surprising twist. Their findings suggest that dark matter might once again be a contender — thanks to an unexpected “box-shaped” structure at the Milky Way’s core.
The Case for Pulsars: Could Hidden Stellar Engines Be Lighting Up Our Galaxy?
MSPs are the cosmic equivalents of lighthouses spinning thousands of times per second, sweeping beams of energy across the universe. They’re extremely valuable to astrophysicists, used for testing gravitational theories and even for potential space navigation.
Yet, spotting them near the bright, chaotic heart of our galaxy is nearly impossible. The dense stellar light in the galactic bulge overwhelms most signals. However, the gamma rays these pulsars emit should still break through — suggesting that if enough MSPs are present, they could easily explain the GCE.
But what if the glow isn’t coming from pulsars at all?
The Dark Matter Hypothesis: Annihilation in the Heart of the Milky Way
Dark matter — invisible, undetectable, yet dominating the universe’s mass — has long been one of astrophysics’ greatest enigmas. The theory linking it to the GCE suggests that Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) congregate around the galactic center.
There, under immense gravitational pull, these particles may collide and annihilate, producing bursts of gamma rays and other detectable particles. It might seem odd for dark matter to interact so actively, but current models allow for self-annihilating dark matter under the right conditions.
Could this violent, unseen dance at the Milky Way’s heart explain its mysterious glow?
The Shape of the Evidence: A Boxy Galactic Bulge Challenges Old Assumptions
Initial data from the Fermi telescope appeared to tip the scales toward the MSP theory. The gamma-ray glow didn’t appear spherical — as one would expect if dark matter were smoothly distributed around the galactic core. Instead, it looked “boxy,” or more rectangular in its spatial distribution.
This boxy shape matched the stellar bulge where MSPs are believed to cluster. For years, that seemed to weaken the case for dark matter. But the new simulations by Muru and his team are shaking that conclusion.
Using a high-resolution cosmological simulation suite called HESTIA (High-Resolution Environment Simulations of The Immediate Area), the researchers built a digital twin of the Milky Way, tracing its evolution through cosmic time — including its mergers with smaller galaxies.
What emerged was striking: the simulated Milky Way’s dark matter distribution wasn’t spherical at all. Instead, it was box-shaped — mirroring the pattern of the GCE itself. When they simulated how gamma rays from dark matter annihilation would appear within this geometry, the results aligned just as closely with the Fermi data as the pulsar models.
A Cosmic Tie: Simulations Blur the Line Between Pulsars and Dark Matter
The implications are profound. For years, the morphology — the shape — of the gamma-ray excess was a key argument against dark matter. Now, that argument no longer holds.
Muru’s study doesn’t claim victory for either side; instead, it levels the playing field. The “boxy” glow could indeed stem from MSPs, but it could just as easily be from dark matter annihilation in a non-spherical halo.
So, which explanation will win? For now, the answer remains hidden in the Milky Way’s dark heart.
The Next Step: Waiting for Sharper Eyes on the Sky
Definitive proof will require new data — and greater precision. That’s where the upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) comes in. Expected to be fully operational by 2028, this next-generation observatory will capture gamma rays with unmatched sensitivity.
With its help, astronomers hope to finally distinguish between the whisper of pulsars and the silence of dark matter.
Until then, the question lingers: Is our galaxy’s mysterious core powered by the restless spin of dying stars — or by the unseen substance that shapes the universe itself?
Source: A Box-Shaped Heart at the Center of the Milky Way? Scientists Are Stunned by What They Found
Have Scientists Finally Found Proof That Dark Matter Is Real?
Have Scientists Finally Found Proof That Dark Matter Is Real?