Scientist Plans to Transform Jupiter's Biggest Moon into a Massive Dark Matter Sensor

In a groundbreaking development, a physicist at the University of Maryland, William DeRocco, has put forth an innovative plan to use Ganymede, one of Jupiter's moons, as a dark matter detector.

Dark matter, an elusive substance that constitutes approximately 85% of the universe, has long been a mystery to scientists. It doesn't interact with light and is invisible to the naked eye, making it difficult to study. However, DeRocco's proposal, while yet to be peer-reviewed, highlights the potential of unconventional methods in the search for dark matter.

If DeRocco's proposal is correct, Ganymede's surface could yield unexpected insights about cosmic dark matter. The physicist suggests that if heavy, massive dark matter particles have struck and penetrated Ganymede's thick, icy surface, they could have created "dark matter craters" - smaller dents comprised of distinctive minerals pulled to the surface from deep inside Ganymede's oceans.

These hypothetical dark matter craters could potentially be observed by NASA's Europa Clipper and ESA's JUICE spacecraft during their respective missions. If NASA or ESA were to pursue DeRocco's idea, they would be looking for these potential dark matter craters on Ganymede's surface.

The proposal also suggests that Ganymede's craters may store evidence of dark matter particles. Ground-penetrating radar could potentially reveal a column of melted ice extending through Ganymede's ice, providing further evidence of the presence of dark matter particles.

Bradley Kavanaugh, an astrophysicist at the University of Cantabria, finds the proposal promising but notes that there is still no definitive evidence of heavy, massive dark matter particles. Solving physics mysteries often involves testing bold, unconventional ideas, and DeRocco's proposal certainly fits that bill.

Whether DeRocco's proposal will lead to groundbreaking discoveries about dark matter remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the search for dark matter continues to push the boundaries of our understanding of the universe.