Alpha-Magnetic Spectrometer: Decoding the Dark Matter Puzzle From Space
The Alpha-Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) aboard the International Space Station is key to unraveling the mysteries of the universe, including dark matter and antimatter.
By analyzing charged particles from cosmic rays, AMS-02’s research, which processes over 18 billion events per year, enriches our understanding of cosmic phenomena.
Visible matter in the form of stars and planets adds up to about five percent of the total known mass of the Universe. The rest is either dark matter, antimatter, or dark energy. The exact nature of these substances is unknown, but the International Space Station’s Alpha-Magnetic Spectrometer or AMS-02 is helping to solve the mystery.
AMS-02 collects data on charged particles from cosmic ray events, which helps scientists understand the origin of those rays and could ultimately reveal whether dark matter and antimatter exist.
To date, the instrument has collected data on about 573 events per second on average – just over 18 billion per year. This high volume of data enables highly precise statistical analyses, and multiple groups of researchers independently process the raw data to ensure accurate results.
Launched in 2011 and mounted on the International Space Station, the Alpha-Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS-02) serves as a powerful detector of cosmic rays, tasked with unraveling the secrets of the universe. It meticulously searches for signs of dark matter and antimatter, testing various theories of particle physics. AMS-02’s long-term cosmic ray monitoring has provided unparalleled insights into the composition and origin of cosmic radiation, marking it as a cornerstone of contemporary astrophysical research.
