New Study Links Galactic Hydrogen Ionization to Light Dark Matter

Researchers propose that low-mass dark matter particles could explain mysterious energy patterns at the Milky Way's center.

Scientists have observed unusually high ionization levels in hydrogen gas at the Milky Way's Central Molecular Zone (CMZ), a long-standing mystery in astrophysics.
A new study suggests that the ionization may be caused by the annihilation of sub-GeV dark matter particles, which are much lighter than previously considered candidates like WIMPs.
These particles could produce electron-positron pairs, providing energy to ionize hydrogen and potentially explaining the galaxy's enigmatic 511 keV gamma-ray signal.
If confirmed, this would mark a significant breakthrough in dark matter research, potentially shifting focus toward lighter, harder-to-detect particles.
Future missions like NASA's COSI telescope, launching in 2027, may provide critical data to test this hypothesis and deepen our understanding of dark matter.