(CNN) -- Nearly two years after it was sent up to the International Space Station, a giant particle physics detector has provided its first results in the search for the mysterious "dark matter" believed to be a major component of the universe. The international team running the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer released its initial findings Wednesday at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN, in Switzerland. The scientists are studying flux in cosmic rays, the charged high-energy particles that permeate space, for evidence of the invisible dark matter particles colliding with each other, leading to what is termed "annihilation."
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Scientists have been analyzing data from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer
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They are seeking evidence of "dark matter" particles thought to be part of the universe
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Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer is mounted outside the International Space Station
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It gives the "most precise measurement of the cosmic ray positron flux to date"
"Over the coming months, @placeholder will be able to tell us conclusively whether these positrons are a signal for dark matter, or whether they have some other origin."