Dark Matter & BAO: How Does it Suppress Baryonic Oscillations?

In summary, dark matter suppresses baryonic osculations. If the mass of the electron didn't change, then the electron would be a dark matter particle and the effect of dark matter on the peaks in the CMB power spectrum would be the same.
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wolram
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How does dark matter suppress baryonic osculations?
 
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The dark matter density in the early universe has a significant effect on the peaks in the CMB power spectrum, which strongly affects structure formation in the early universe, e.g., SDSS [see; https://arxiv.org/abs/1509.06529, SDSS-III Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey Data Release 12: galaxy target selection and large scale structure catalogues. You need a pretty healthy dose of DM to reconcile the observed structure with that expected based solely on baryonic matter and radiation pressure in the early universe [DM is not affected by radiation pressure]. For discussion, see http://background.uchicago.edu/~whu/intermediate/driving2.html. It is difficult to appreciate the strength of the case for DM without familiarity with CMB and SDSS studies.
 
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wolram said:
How does dark matter suppress baryonic osculations?
I don't think it suppresses them. It just doesn't participate in them (as dark matter doesn't experience pressure to any significant degree). In practical terms this means that dark matter contributes to all of the odd peaks in the CMB power spectrum, while only the normal matter contributes to the even peaks.
 
  • #4
Chalnoth said:
I don't think it suppresses them. It just doesn't participate in them (as dark matter doesn't experience pressure to any significant degree). In practical terms this means that dark matter contributes to all of the odd peaks in the CMB power spectrum, while only the normal matter contributes to the even peaks.
But it does, doesn't it? - it suppresses the even peaks as it acts gravitationally against the bouncing baryonic matter so that it doesn't expand as much as a result.
This animation from Max Tegmark's site:
http://space.mit.edu/home/tegmark/movies.html
shows the effect each cosmological parameter should have on peak distribution.

@wolram Sean Carroll briefly explains how this works in this video:

starting at around 15:40 (or, -9.45).
 
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If, in the primordial plasma, electrons were 2000x less massive than ions, wouldn't a given photon flux have had much greater effect on the motion of electrons over ions ? Wouldn't that create a charge separation which would suppress even peaks, mimicking non-baryonic DM in so doing ?
 
  • #7
The mass of the electron doesn't change. Rest mass being an invarient quantity. If you have a different invarient mass it's not a electron. So where did you get this value ?

Edit your wording is extremely ambiguous can you clarify the above ?
 

Related to Dark Matter & BAO: How Does it Suppress Baryonic Oscillations?

1. What is dark matter and how does it relate to baryonic oscillations?

Dark matter is a type of matter that does not emit or interact with light, making it invisible to telescopes and other instruments. It is believed to make up about 27% of the total matter in the universe. Baryonic oscillations, on the other hand, refer to the regular fluctuations in the density of visible matter in the universe. While dark matter and baryonic oscillations are two distinct concepts, they are related because the presence of dark matter affects the behavior of baryonic matter.

2. How does dark matter suppress baryonic oscillations?

Dark matter suppresses baryonic oscillations by exerting gravitational forces on visible matter. It acts as a sort of scaffolding for the distribution of visible matter, preventing it from collapsing and forming structures too quickly. This allows baryonic oscillations to develop and expand in a more regular and predictable manner.

3. What is the significance of baryonic oscillations in understanding the universe?

Baryonic oscillations are significant because they provide a standard ruler for measuring distances in the universe. This allows scientists to map out the large-scale structure of the universe and study its expansion over time. Baryonic oscillations also provide important clues about the distribution and growth of dark matter in the universe.

4. How do scientists study the effects of dark matter on baryonic oscillations?

Scientists study the effects of dark matter on baryonic oscillations through observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation. This is the leftover radiation from the early universe and contains imprints of the distribution of matter at that time. By analyzing the patterns and fluctuations in the CMB, scientists can infer the presence and properties of dark matter and its impact on baryonic oscillations.

5. What are the potential implications of understanding the suppression of baryonic oscillations by dark matter?

The understanding of how dark matter suppresses baryonic oscillations has implications for our understanding of the evolution and structure of the universe. It also has practical applications, such as helping scientists to refine their models for predicting the growth and distribution of large-scale structures in the universe. Ultimately, this knowledge could also inform future studies and experiments aimed at detecting and studying dark matter directly.

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