Hey, WIMPs: Beware of Dwarf

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Arrows in the center of this image point toward the supermassive black hole at the galactic center of the Milky Way galaxy. GLAST data may soon provide evidence of WIMP-burning stars nearby. Credit: European Southern Observatory
Arrows in the center of this image point toward the supermassive black hole at the galactic center of the Milky Way galaxy. GLAST data may soon provide evidence of WIMP-burning stars nearby. Credit: European Southern Observatory

Stars may be bullies in their old age. White dwarfs—dense, collapsed stars in their final stage of life—could be skilled at swallowing and annihilating weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs). These particles may constitute a large portion of the dark matter in the universe, and could form extremely dense concentrations near supermassive black holes.


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