What Will GLAST Tell Us?

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A simulated image of gamma-ray sources from dark matter annihilations in a model galaxy. Image courtesy of James E. Taylor and Arif Babul
A simulated image of gamma-ray sources from dark matter annihilations in a model galaxy. Image courtesy of James E. Taylor and Arif Babul

The identity of dark matter—the mysterious stuff that makes up a quarter of the universe—continues to elude scientists, even decades after they first inferred its existence. The leading candidate that might explain the fundamental make-up of dark matter is a hypothetical particle called the weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP). Soon, with the Gamma-Ray Large Area Telescope (GLAST) built in part at SLAC and scheduled for launch in August of 2007, scientists may finally find clear evidence that dark matter is indeed made of WIMPs.


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All News summaries for January 23, 2007

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