Dark Matter Possibly Found by $2 Billion Space Station Experiment

[Chemical]

A massive particle detector mounted on the International Space Station may have detected elusive dark matter at last, scientists announced today (April 3).

The detector, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), measures cosmic-ray particles in space. After detecting billions of these particles over a year and a half, the experiment recorded a signal that may be the result of dark matter, the hidden substance that makes up more than 80 percent of all matter in the universe.

Link: http://www.livescience.com/28389-dark-matter-discovery-space-experiment.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Livesciencecom+%28LiveScience.com+Science+Headline+Feed%29

 

[porchrat]

This stuff goes so far over my head it isn't even funny but man is it interesting nonetheless.

So now that they have detected this initial signal where do they go from here?

 

[Chemical]

Some more form CERN: http://press.web.cern.ch/press-releases/2013/04/ams-experiment-measures-antimatter-excess-space

 

[Unhappy1]

This stuff goes so far over my head it isn't even funny but man is it interesting nonetheless.

So now that they have detected this initial signal where do they go from here?

Nothing will change really, they will need to gather a **** ton more data.

 

[RazedInBlack]

This is damn interesting man.

IS dark matter the same as anti-matter?

 

[Chemical]

This is damn interesting man.

IS dark matter the same as anti-matter?

No, antimatter has been created in experiments( It is matter that has a charge opposite that of normal matter)
Here is a infographic on dark matter.
http://www.space.com/20502-dark-matter-universe-mystery-infographic.html

 

[RazedInBlack]

No, antimatter has been created in experiments( It is matter that has a charge opposite that of normal matter)
Here is a infographic on dark matter.
http://www.space.com/20502-dark-matter-universe-mystery-infographic.html

Ah! I see. Thanks for that link.

 

[zippy]

No, antimatter has been created in experiments( It is matter that has a charge opposite that of normal matter)
Here is a infographic on dark matter.
http://www.space.com/20502-dark-matter-universe-mystery-infographic.html

If dark matter emits no light then that excludes stars, but planets ? Planets don't emit light either. They can reflect it, depending on their composition.

I think they mean that light(all wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum??) doesn't interact with dark matter except through the gravitational effects of dark matter.

Does that mean, that light passes "through" dark matter ? Much like neutrinos pass through most matter. Does any light ever actually "hit" any dark matter. Seems not, because surely that would give off energy ?