Universe's Mysterious Dark Matter

Subatomic Particle 14 Billion Years Old

Source:  European Space Agency/Hubble

Big Bang Subatomic Particle May Provide Answers on Dark Matter

Researchers believe that they have identified a subatomic particle that may have formed the Universe's dark matter right after the Big Bang, nearly 14 billion years ago.  They say this is one of the strongest pieces of evidence of the very existence of dark matter.  Dark matter can be seen in the picture (above) floating like a ring in the galaxy cluster ZwC10024+1652.  The team of astronomers, studying images obtained from the Hubble telescope, believe that dark matter was produced by a collision between two huge space clusters.

Dark Matter

Scientists have estimated that 27% of the matter in the Universe could be dark matter.  There has been very little substantive understanding of what dark matter is until now.  A team of nuclear physicists think that dark matter could be made from the newly identified particle - the d-star hexaquark.

Quarks - Exotic Particles

The smallest level that matter can be broken down into is the quark. Quarks are smaller than subatomic particles, atoms  and molecules.  The d-star hexaquark is made up of six quarks.  Quarks are very different and can combine in very unusual ways.  Some researchers are theorizing that hexaquarks could have condensed into dark matter in the unique conditions 14 billion years ago right after the Big Bang occurred.