Physicists from the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have announced a major breakthrough in dark matter research. As reported by the publication “Keji Ribao,” they have, for the first time, experimentally observed the Migdal effect.
This is an exceedingly rare quantum phenomenon that previously existed only within the scope of theoretical calculations. The concept of this effect was initially proposed by the Soviet scientist Arkady Migdal. He hypothesized that upon a particle’s impact with an atomic nucleus, an unforeseen transfer of some energy occurs to an electron situated outside the nucleus, causing that electron to be ejected from the atom.
Recently, a Chinese research collective provided experimental verification for this theory, marking a crucial advance in the quest to understand dark matter. Current cosmological models suggest that dark matter constitutes roughly 85% of all matter in the universe, yet it remains entirely undetectable by direct observation.
Dark matter neither emits nor interacts with electromagnetic radiation, making it impossible to view directly. Nevertheless, its presence is inferred by the gravitational influence it exerts on galactic movements. In recent years, the scientific community has increasingly recognized the necessity of focusing greater attention on investigating these elusive dark components that interact minimally with ordinary baryonic matter.
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