Astronomers have started to investigate ways to identify anomalies amongst asteroids that could revolutionise current knowledge on the universe so far, according to a new publication in a scientific journal.
With data collected by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission from the "trickster" asteroid Bennu, scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory have suggested that there is a possibility of isolating a newly discovered force.
NASA's mission returned physical material, alongside scientific data - analysis of which has indicated the possibility of a new fifth force, which might be associated with dark matter and ultralight particles.
Currently, the Standard Model of physics includes gravitational, electromagnetic, weak nuclear and strong nuclear forces.
Lead author on the discovery's research paper said: “Interpreting the data we see from tracking Bennu has the potential to add to our understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of the universe, potentially revamping our understanding of the Standard Model of physics, gravity, and dark matter"
NASA
While astronomers have faced challenges with proving the fifth force, they have pondered the possibility that an ultralight boson particle might be the fifth force, extending the standard model to incorporate dark matter.
Published in Communications Physics, lead author of the discovery's research paper Yu-Dai Tsai said: “Interpreting the data we see from tracking Bennu has the potential to add to our understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of the universe, potentially revamping our understanding of the Standard Model of physics, gravity, and dark matter.
“The trajectories of objects often feature anomalies that can be useful in discovering new physics.”
While little is currently known about dark matter, NASA has described it as a “mysterious” substance which impacts the cosmos, which scientists are “still trying to figure out”.
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Data from Bennu's orbit allowed scientists to set limits on deviations from orbits of asteroids and planets, which has imposed limits on the force.
Consequently, the research team believes that the possibility of the fifth force is worth further study, although a formal confirmation is yet to be established.
The study of the trickster asteroid is part of Nasa's wider Planetary Defense mission, which constantly tracks near-earth objects, including Bennu.
Sunny Vagnozzi, an assistant professor at the University of Trento in Italy and the study's co-author said: “These results highlight the potential for asteroid tracking as a valuable tool in the search for ultralight bosons, dark matter, and several well-motivated extensions of the Standard Model."
Now, physicists have focused on a new asteroid, Apophis, which will near earth in 2029, to expand their study of the fifth force (Stock)
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Now, physicists have focused on a new asteroid, Apophis, which will near Earth in 2029, to expand their study of the fifth force.
They hope that further research on the asteroid will illuminate current academic work into the role of the possible force, with the additional help from the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft compiling data from Apophis' orbit.
Previous studies of the orbits of objects in space have led to the discoveries of planets such as Neptune, which was first found through data collected from Uranus' orbit and other gravitational forces.
Still, there remains some room for error as scientists mistakenly thought they had discovered a planet, which they had called Vulcan, between the Sun and Mercury, which was incorrect.
