Produced by: Manoj Kumar
A radical new study suggests that ultra-high-energy cosmic rays may not come from distant black holes or supernovas—but from dark matter particles annihilating in our galaxy.
These particles travel near light speed with more energy than any human-made accelerator. If they came from deep space, they should lose energy—but they don’t.
A Russian astrophysicist proposes that these powerful rays aren’t alien messengers but the result of self-destructing dark matter inside the Milky Way itself.
The study points to scalarons, ultra-heavy dark matter particles that may have formed during cosmic inflation. When they collide, they release unimaginable bursts of energy.
If true, these cosmic rays could be the first observable sign of dark matter actively interacting—something physicists have searched for decades without success.
If scalarons exist, it could force scientists to rethink Einstein’s theories and rewrite the laws of high-energy astrophysics—challenging decades of accepted science.
Not everyone is convinced. Some scientists believe star-forming clouds or extreme magnetic fields inside the Milky Way could be responsible, no dark matter needed.
If cosmic rays are linked to dark matter, it would be the biggest breakthrough in physics since the discovery of the Higgs boson—finally unlocking the secrets of 85% of the universe’s mass.
Physicists are now racing to test this theory, using space telescopes and particle detectors to track these mysterious rays back to their true origin. The answer could reshape science forever.