A possible “fifth drive” — an unknown drive past the recognized 4 elementary forces — would possibly affect the paths of celestial our bodies. Nonetheless, latest analysis on asteroid Bennu exhibits no proof of any such drive affecting its orbit, setting a restrict on how sturdy this mysterious drive could possibly be. This discovering, printed in Communications Physics on 20 September, offers recent views on how forces would possibly work together with darkish matter, a significant unsolved query in physics.
Bennu’s Orbit Examined with NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Mission
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission monitored Bennu’s trajectory with extraordinary precision. It performed an important function in permitting scientists to detect the slightest of deviations within the asteroid’s path. The spacecraft additionally collected a pattern from Bennu that returned to Earth in 2023. In keeping with Dr. Yu-Dai Tsai, physicist at Los Alamos Nationwide Laboratory, Bennu’s trajectory knowledge has been analysed meticulously, giving scientists a novel alternative to search for refined shifts in its orbit that might trace at forces past our present understanding.
Investigating Forces and Particles within the Universe
The examine of forces in physics usually includes figuring out particles related to them. As an example, photons, particles of sunshine, are accountable for electromagnetic interactions. Ought to a fifth drive exist, its particle is perhaps accountable for darkish matter, an enigmatic element of the cosmos. Utilizing Bennu’s orbital knowledge, scientists explored this chance, narrowing down the potential traits of such particles to extraordinarily mild lots, roughly a millionth of a trillionth of an electron’s mass.
Increasing the Search Throughout the Photo voltaic System
With these findings, researchers counsel that analysing the orbits of further asteroids may additional take a look at for any indicators of the fifth drive, probably revealing a bigger vary of particle lots. Whereas the bodily samples from Bennu provide insights into its materials composition, its exact trajectory may ultimately deepen our understanding of forces and particles linked to darkish matter.
