Shining light on elusive dark matter

The antimatter hunter AMS-02 on the International Space Station is searching for the missing pieces of our Universe. The project's first results published today are hinting at a new phenomenon and revealing more about the invisible 'dark matter'. AMS-02, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, consists of seven instruments that monitor cosmic rays from space. Unprotected by Earth's atmosphere the instruments receive a constant barrage of high-energy particles. As these particles pass through AMS-02, the instruments record their speed, energy and direction. The project is one of the largest scientific collaborations of all time involving 56 institutes from 16 countries. The instrument was tested at ESA's technical facility ESTEC in the Netherlands before being shipped to the US for launch on Space Shuttle Endeavour .