JERUSALEM, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) — An international team of researchers has found that radio wave measurements from the moon could advance scientific understanding of dark matter, which makes up most of the matter in the universe yet remains largely unknown, according to a statement issued by Israel’s Tel Aviv University (TAU) on Wednesday.
In the new study published in Nature Astronomy, scientists from TAU, along with colleagues from Japan, India, and Britain, focused on the Cosmic Dark Ages, about 100 million years after the Big Bang, before the first stars were formed.
They found that dark matter likely formed dense clumps during this period, which caused hydrogen gas to emit stronger radio waves.
The study suggested that by measuring these radio waves from space, scientists could uncover key details about dark matter.
Since Earth’s atmosphere blocks radio waves from the early universe, the researchers stated that the best place to observe them is from the moon, which provides a quiet and stable environment without interference from Earth’s atmosphere or human-made signals.
While placing telescopes on the moon is a significant challenge, global space agencies are already planning lunar missions and seeking scientific objectives.
The researchers hope their study will guide these efforts, explaining that these radio signals could reveal how dark matter influenced the early universe.
Although weak, the signals from before the first stars formed are clearer because they are not affected by starlight.
The researchers noted that with advanced antennas, especially on the moon, scientists could map these signals and study the patterns created by dark matter clumps. Enditem