A detailed look at the gamma-ray sky. Photo: NASA/DOE/Fermi LAT Collaboration
A detailed look at the gamma-ray sky. Photo: NASA/DOE/Fermi LAT Collaboration - Star-forming galaxies are responsible for creating gamma-rays that until now had not been associated with a known origin. Star-forming galaxies are responsible for creating gamma-rays that until now had not been associated with a known origin, researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) have confirmed. Lead author Dr Matt Roth, from the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, said until now it has been unclear what created gamma-rays - one of the most energetic forms of light in the Universe - that appear in patches of seemingly 'empty sky'. The discovery could offer clues to help astronomers solve other mysteries of the Universe, such as what kind of particles make up Dark Matter - one of the holy grails of astrophysics. "It's a significant milestone to finally discover the origins of this gamma-ray emission, solving a mystery of the Universe astronomers have been trying to decipher since the 1960s," Dr Roth said. "There are two obvious sources that produce large amounts of gamma-rays seen in the Universe.
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