What is the History of Dark Matter?

In summary, there has been a decades-long search for dark matter and it has become a central element in modern cosmology. However, the history of how it became accepted is often overlooked or condensed. This review aims to provide a broader perspective on the observational discoveries and theoretical arguments that led to its acceptance. It is considered an essential part of the standard cosmological model, although it is still not fully understood and further research and experiments are being conducted. There is also a new paper by Erik Verlinde that may shed more light on the subject.
  • #1
wolram
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I thought this may be interesting, the decades old search for Dark Mater.

arXiv:1605.04909 [pdf, other]
A History of Dark Matter
Gianfranco Bertone, Dan Hooper
Comments: 86 pages, 8 figures
Subjects: Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO); Astrophysics of Galaxies (astro-ph.GA); High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE); High Energy Physics - Phenomenology (hep-ph)

Although dark matter is a central element of modern cosmology, the history of how it became accepted as part of the dominant paradigm is often ignored or condensed into a brief anecdotical account focused around the work of a few pioneering scientists. The aim of this review is to provide the reader with a broader historical perspective on the observational discoveries and the theoretical arguments that led the scientific community to adopt dark matter as an essential part of the standard cosmological model.
 
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  • #3
'Dark matter' is one of those placeholder names for a thing which measurably exists, but we don't know what it is.
No theory suggests it should be there, but it does.
Either we need to improve our theories, or else do experiments to find out what is going on.
Work is in progress in both ways as as far as I know
 
  • #4
Personally, I'm curious about this 'about to come out'-new paper by Erik Verlinde.
 

1. What is Dark Matter?

Dark matter is a type of matter that makes up about 85% of the universe. It cannot be seen or detected by telescopes or other instruments, and its presence is inferred through its gravitational effects on visible matter.

2. How was Dark Matter discovered?

The existence of dark matter was first proposed by Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky in the 1930s. He observed that the amount of visible matter in the Coma Cluster of galaxies was not enough to account for the cluster's gravitational effects, leading him to theorize the presence of invisible matter.

3. What is the current understanding of Dark Matter?

The current understanding is that dark matter is made up of particles that do not interact with light, and therefore cannot be seen. These particles are believed to be spread throughout the universe, providing the gravitational pull that holds galaxies and clusters together.

4. How does Dark Matter affect the universe?

Dark matter plays a crucial role in the formation and evolution of the universe. Its gravitational effects on visible matter help to shape and structure the large-scale distribution of galaxies. Without dark matter, galaxies would not have enough gravitational pull to remain bound together.

5. What are some current theories about the nature of Dark Matter?

Scientists have proposed various theories about the nature of dark matter, including the possibility that it is made up of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) or Axions. Other theories suggest that dark matter may not be a particle at all, but rather a modification of the laws of gravity on a larger scale.

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