Dark matter discovery: Bail me out, guys?

In summary, the seminar was informative, but the last two questions were too difficult for the presenter to answer. He suggested looking at Science magazine or preprints for more information.
  • #1
Math Is Hard
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I went to a cosmology seminar recently. It was mostly for fun,
but if you complete a take home exam you get a tiny bit of college credit for it.
Things were going along fine until I ran across the last two questions:

How was Dark Matter just discovered and when did this happen?

What measurement in 2003 confirmed the Dark Matter evidence?

I can't find any specific references to this in my notes about Dark Matter actually being discovered other than
some information about ongoing experiments for detection being done with liquid xenon.
The lecturer was very good but he was way over my head technically. Could anyone point me to some web links where I can research these questions more? I am turning up zilch on my web searches and I would
really like to take a stab at answering them.


Thanks!
 
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  • #2
Originally posted by Math Is Hard
How was Dark Matter just discovered and when did this happen?

Vera Rubin might know.

What measurement in 2003 confirmed the Dark Matter evidence?

There are a number of measurements in 2003 and other years that have supported dark matter. Since this is in the context of cosmology, I will take a stab and guess: try looking for measurements of the cosmic background radiation.
 
  • #3
Actually, come to think of it, the cosmic background measurements were published in 2002. I've attended several dark matter talks recently, and none of them have mentioned any major cosmological measurements of dark matter this year, though there are always minor measurements ongoing.

For a survey of the status of dark matter and dark energy research, you can look in the library for the June 20 edition of "Science" magazine.
 
  • #4
Or try looking at the link in the "Dark Matter Detected? (Oct1 Reprint)" Topic in this very Forum.
 
  • #5
Originally posted by LURCH
Or try looking at the link in the "Dark Matter Detected? (Oct1 Reprint)" Topic in this very Forum.

That's a very interesting result, but I personally wouldn't count it as evidence confirming the existence of dark matter; we still don't know what it's due to. So I don't think it could be the answer needed.
 
  • #6
The answer: the rotation curves of galaxies (the graph of rotation velocity versus radial distance from the center) is not what is expected from the light curve (the graph of luminosity versus radial distance).

It's been known for at least 50 years, but I'm not sure there was a single distinct observation that launched the idea.

- Warren
 
  • #8
Wow - thanks for the direction on this, everybody. I really appreciate it.
 
  • #9
p.s. I finally decided the first question was probably a trick. If anybody "discovered" Dark Matter I would think it was Fritz Zwicky when he conjectured about missing mass keeping the galaxies from flying apart.
That might not be the answer they are looking for but it works for me.
 

1. What is dark matter?

Dark matter is a hypothetical type of matter that is believed to make up about 85% of the total mass in the universe. It does not emit or interact with light, making it invisible to telescopes and other instruments.

2. How was dark matter discovered?

Dark matter was first proposed by Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky in the 1930s, based on observations of the Coma cluster of galaxies. Further evidence for its existence was found in the 1970s by American astronomer Vera Rubin, who studied the rotation of galaxies and found that they were moving faster than expected, indicating the presence of unseen mass.

3. What are the current theories about dark matter?

There are several theories about what dark matter may be composed of, including weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), axions, and sterile neutrinos. However, none of these theories have been definitively proven and the true nature of dark matter remains a mystery.

4. How do scientists study dark matter?

Scientists study dark matter through its gravitational effects on visible matter, such as galaxies and galaxy clusters. They also use particle accelerators and other high-energy experiments to try to detect and study dark matter particles.

5. Why is the discovery of dark matter important?

The discovery of dark matter is important because it could help us better understand the structure and evolution of the universe. It may also provide insight into new physics and potentially lead to advancements in our understanding of the fundamental laws of the universe.

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