Our universe is a big puzzle. Although some questions have been answered, many phenomena, such as black holes, are still shrouded in mystery.
Our very own sun, for example, is one such enigma. Recent developments have disproved old beliefs concerning the Sun’s elemental composition, raising questions about its mass.
Scientists have discovered that the Sun has 20-25% less carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen than previously speculated. According to Aaron Vincent, an astroparticle physicist from Durham University in England, no existing models can explain the discrepancy, and thus it is dubbed the Solar Abundance Problem.
To better under the Sun’s composition and internal activity, scientists studied the rhythmic fluctuations in its brightness, caused by sound waves that zip around inside of it – a process known as flickering. Yet, “despite a decade of effort, this is a puzzle that has yet to be solved,” Vincent stated.
New developments in this mystery, however, are beginning to surface as he and colleague, Pat Scott, are turning to dark matter for answers.
Although most of the properties of dark matter are still unknown, scientists say it comprises about five-sixths of all matter. Furthermore, dark matter is postulated to be composed of a new particle, which interacts weakly with other forces of the universe, making it only detectable via the gravitational pull it exerts.
By running thousands of simulations, Vincent and Scott were able to shed light on one specific model. In this proposition, dark matter is asymmetric, meaning that a one-of-a-kind particle is more abundant than its antiparticle counterpart – much like how protons are much more abundant than antiprotons in the universe.
These asymmetric particles could absorb energy in the hottest central part of the sun’s core, then zip past to a cooler point, and in turn, release this energy. This would ultimately explain the change in the sun and its flickering.
If this postulate is affirmed, it will present a linkage between two equally puzzling mysteries that have baffled scientists for ages. It would also provide us with a clearer understanding of dark matter, although we all would have to reexamine our current beliefs about the sun.
