Lü Yongchang's mutterings were incredibly clear in the quiet laboratory.
Dark matter?!
The expressions of the researchers standing beside him changed slightly, some excited, some worried...
"Professor, why do you think this is dark matter?"
From the side came He Bilin's questioning voice.
...
Unlike antimatter.
Antimatter is a substance that humans have actually observed and that definitely exists.
And dark matter...
As of today, human civilization has reached Level IV, but it remains a theoretical concept.
As one of the top astronomers in the Chinese Academy of Sciences, He Bilin naturally understands this mysterious thing called dark matter.
First, let's define dark matter.
It is a kind of invisible matter that may exist in the universe.
At the same time, it is a major component of cosmic matter, but it is not a component of various celestial bodies in the universe.
According to various observations, dark matter accounts for an astonishing 85% of the total matter in the universe, and at the same time, it accounts for 27% of the total mass-energy of the universe!
As for the various celestial bodies visible to the naked eye, they only account for about 5% of the total mass-energy of the universe.
Based on this calculation, all celestial bodies and dark matter combined account for only 32% of the total mass-energy of the universe.
So what about the remaining 68%?
These are what is known as dark energy.
Compared to dark matter, dark energy is more mysterious, and it may even be the driving force behind the ever-accelerating expansion of the universe!
Although humans have not directly found so-called dark matter, there is a lot of evidence for its existence.
For example, the workings of the Milky Way.
In ordinary star systems, due to the gravitational pull of the host star, the closer a star is to the star, the faster it revolves around the star, while the farther away a star is from the host star, the slower it revolves.
However, this rule does not apply in the Milky Way or other spiral galaxies.
In the Milky Way, all celestial bodies rotate at almost the same angular velocity.
Simply put, unlike ordinary star systems, the closer a star is to the center of the Milky Way, the slower its orbital speed; conversely, the further out the star is, the faster its orbital speed!
This could lead to a situation where outer celestial bodies, due to their excessively high speeds, escape the gravitational control of the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, thereby causing the Milky Way to disintegrate!
But this did not happen.
The distribution of matter in a galaxy can be calculated by observing the dispersion velocity distribution of visible objects within it. However, after various observations and calculations, the matter distribution of most galaxies and star clusters differs from the observed distribution—visible matter accounts for only a very small portion of the total mass.
In other words, there is an invisible substance dispersed throughout the universe.
This is dark matter.
Within galaxies, dark matter acts as a "glue" between stars, keeping all stars orbiting the galactic center at nearly the same angular velocity and preventing the galaxy from breaking apart.
...
Lu Yongchang silently watched the images projected on the holographic screen.
In the image, the black mass located in the core area of the two-dimensional fragment restraint device remains quietly in its place.
He Bilin turned his head and looked at Lü Yongchang with a questioning gaze.
Although he didn't know what Professor Lü was thinking at that moment, he still suppressed the confusion that kept welling up in his heart.
There is no other reason.
He doesn't like others interrupting his train of thought when he's thinking about a problem.
Putting himself in others' shoes, He Bilin naturally wouldn't interrupt Professor Lü's thoughts at such a time.
"I……"
Suddenly, Lü Yongchang's lips moved slightly, and he murmured in a somewhat confused tone, "I don't know either..."
"However, according to our theory, it does fit the definition of dark matter very well."
"First of all, dark matter is highly stable."
"The stability of a two-dimensional fragment that can be constrained to such an active nature is beyond doubt."
"Secondly, dark matter does not participate in electromagnetic interactions."
"In other words, its interaction with photons is very weak, and it basically does not emit light."
"That's also a perfect match."
Thirdly...
"Dark matter participates in gravitational interactions."
"This might explain the strength of the surrounding gravity shield."
Lu Yongchang's eyes were filled with confusion: "If the [painting] simply wants to isolate the interference of particles, this gravitational shield doesn't need to be this strong at all."
"According to the latest calculations, its strength is even more than 10,000 times that of the gravity shield manufactured by the Lator flagship."
"so……"
"Its main function is most likely to confine the dark matter within it."
He Bilin frowned, nodded thoughtfully, and said, "When you put it that way... there is indeed a resemblance."
"But, Professor, I have a question."
"Go on," Lü Yongchang nodded, turning his gaze away from the holographic screen and towards He Bilin, who had walked up to him.
Facing the gazes of Lü Yongchang and the group of researchers, He Bilin pondered for a moment before asking a question.
What is its energy source?
"I don't think the fusion reactor inside this small starship can produce enough energy to support such a high-strength gravity shield."
Upon hearing this question, Lü Yongchang also fell silent.
yes.
What is its energy source?
As the research deepened, one mystery after another emerged before the Academy of Sciences.
Although the number of reactors inside this starship far exceeds that of a normal starship, it is still only a fusion reactor of a Type II civilization.
Let alone a Type 7 civilization, even today's humans, any starship equipped with an antimatter engine, produces energy that is not even in the same league as it!
"perhaps……"
Lu Yongchang stared at the simple yet aesthetically pleasing constraint device in the holographic projection and slowly said, "The so-called fusion reactor power supply is nothing but a deception of the [painting]."
"It must have its own unique energy system, we just don't know it."
"Professor, what do we do now?" He Bilin looked at the huge restraint device in the holographic projection with some reluctance.
Everyone understood the meaning behind He Bilin's words.
The restraint device before us contains far more technology than human civilization could ever hope to achieve.
To scientists, this is like a poison laced with honey.
Like the other scientists, Lü Yongchang's face was filled with conflict.
"call……"
He exhaled a long breath, as if he had let go of his obsession, and his whole body relaxed.
"Observe and test the gravity shield."
He glanced longingly at the dark matter in the core area and said softly, "Neither dark matter nor a completely new energy system is something we can touch right now."
"Zero, monitor it in real time, and report any anomalies immediately!"
The order had been given, and everyone present had no choice but to suppress their yearning for the truth.
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