Why is our galaxy's dark matter distribution non-spherical?

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The galaxy's dark matter distribution is primarily spherical, while the visible gas forms a planar disk due to the galaxy's rotational kinetic energy. This rotation is believed to have originated from tidal torques from other pre-collapse galaxies, although the exact process remains unclear. The dark matter halo is substantial, contributing to the overall structure. Despite the galaxy's rotation, dark matter does not interact in a way that would allow it to form a disk. The distinction between the spherical dark matter and the planar gas is crucial for understanding the galaxy's formation and dynamics.
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Why is our galaxy planar? Why isn't it spherical?
 
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Because it has rotational kinetic energy -- it's spinning.

- Warren
 
chroot said:
Because it has rotational kinetic energy -- it's spinning.

Though it's worth mentioning that the process by which it obtained that rotation is still relatively unclear. Our best theory at the moment is that it was due to tidal torques from other pre-collapse galaxies.
 
I think its more spherical than it looks. There's lots of dark matter in the halo.
 
tony873004 said:
I think its more spherical than it looks. There's lots of dark matter in the halo.

That depends on what you're referring to. The dark matter distribution is indeed thought to be spherical (roughly), but the gas is clearly in a disk. The fact that the dark matter is non-interacting means that it wouldn't be able to organize itself into a disk structure despite having non-zero rotation.
 

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