106 research outputs found
Signals of Supersymmetric Dark Matter
The Lightest Supersymmetric Particle predicted in most of the supersymmetric
scenarios is an ideal candidate for the dark matter of cosmology. Their
detection is of extreme significance today. Recently there have been intriguing
signals of a 59 Gev neutralino dark matter at DAMA in Gran Sasso. We look at
other possible signatures of dark matter in astrophysical and geological
frameworks. The passage of the earth through dense clumps of dark matter would
produce large quantities of heat in the interior of this planet through the
capture and subsequent annihilation of dark matter particles. This heat would
lead to large-scale volcanism which could in turn have caused mass extinctions.
The periodicity of such volcanic outbursts agrees with the frequency of
palaeontological mass extinctions as well as the observed periodicity in the
occurrence of the largest flood basalt provinces on the globe. Binary character
of these extinctions is another unique aspect of this signature of dark matter.
In addition dark matter annihilations appear to be a new source of heat in the
planetary systems.Comment: Latex file, 11 pages, no figure
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