Milky Ways Mysterious Gamma Rays Could Come From Cosmic Strings

According to string theory, the ultimate building blocks of matter are tiny strings of energy that vibrate in ten dimensions of space-time. In addition to strings, entities called “branes,” which have two, three or more dimensions, also exist. The universe is a 3D brane, and the big bang could have been caused by a collision between our universe and another 3D brane. This process would have produced macroscopic cosmic superstrings, giant strings which behave like superconducting channels that have thrashed about through space since the universe began.

Vachaspati explains that as the giant strings cut through the galactic magnetic field, electrical currents are induced along the strings. The currents consist of all kinds of particles, including positrons. Since they are the lightest particles, they can be ejected from the strings. Vachaspati claims that this is the source of the positrons that helped create the gamma rays at the center of the galaxy.

Previously, scientists have suggested that the positrons could have been created by black holes, supernovae, neutron stars or the annihilation of a low-mass dark matter particle and its antiparticle.