Astronomers Find Dark Matter Lensing PKS 2233-148 Jet, Bolstering 1 Blazar-Neutrino Link
Updated
Updated · Space.com · Aug 19
Astronomers Find Dark Matter Lensing PKS 2233-148 Jet, Bolstering 1 Blazar-Neutrino Link
3 articles · Updated · Space.com · Aug 19
Summary
PKS 2233-148’s plasma jet was found to have veered from its expected path because an unseen dark-matter clump gravitationally lensed it, astronomers reported in a study published July 31.
VLBA, Fermi and Swift observations let researchers track the jet’s motion over time and spot matching anomalies in the gamma-ray light curve, pointing to lensing rather than an intrinsic jet change.
No visible galaxy or cluster sits in the right place to bend the jet, making dark matter the leading explanation for what the team says may be the first lensing signal hinting at dark-matter substructure.
Because PKS 2233-148 is a blazar with a jet aimed at Earth, the temporary alignment could help test whether such jets act as cosmic accelerators that produce hard-to-trace neutrinos.