NASA Dark Matter Announcement on Monday, 21st Aug

[neutrino]

NASA Announces Dark Matter Discovery

Astronomers who used NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory will host a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT Monday, Aug. 21, to announce how dark and normal matter have been forced apart in an extraordinarily energetic collision.

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2006/aug/HQ_M06128_dark_matter.html

http://asymptotia.com/2006/08/15/watch-that-space/

http://www.cosmicvariance.com" 's Sean Carroll is one of the briefing participants.

 

[Chronos]

We live in exciting times, neutrino. Thanx for the heads up.

 

[Vast]

Yes, thankyou indeed!

It appears the stories been leaked, and the Chandra observation is of http://heasarc.nasa.gov/docs/objects/heapow/archive/large_scale_structure/1E0657-56.html"

 

[Rach3]

Yes, thankyou indeed!

It appears the stories been leaked, and the Chandra observation is of http://heasarc.nasa.gov/docs/objects/heapow/archive/large_scale_structure/1E0657-56.html"

Where is the leak? (Is it Karl Rove? ) What specifically are they inferring from that cluster that suggests dark matter?

 

[Vast]

Where is the leak? (Is it Karl Rove? ) What specifically are they inferring from that cluster that suggests dark matter?

See neutrino second link and the comments. Sorry, not familiar with Karl Rove.

 

[EL]

It's not the first time people claim to have detected dark matter indirectly, but let's hope this time it's for real!

 

[matt.o]

There are already papers in existence on this cluster and dark matter. I have linked them a few times here if you care to check my previous posts. I saw Maxim Markevitch talk at the 6 years of Chandra conference on this cluster. They have a much deeper observation with Chandra, and I am guessing they have probably gone deeper in the optical to improve the lensing maps.

 

[Chronos]

Cautious optimism, matt. This could be a breakthrough, or just another unsupported guess. I'm hesitant because it would be a huge discovery.

 

[matt.o]

Marcus has linked to John Baez's blog too. See http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/week238.html" for more.

All I am saying is that they are probably just updating their old paper with better observations. I know for a fact that the "bullet cluster" has been re-observed for 500ks on chandra - an order of magnitude longer than the previous observation. Who knows, maybe they have found more evidence using this new data?

 

[Haelfix]

Bye Bye MonD/TeVeS..

 

[neutrino]

matt.o, What's 'ks' ("I know for a fact that the "bullet cluster" has been re-observed for 500ks")? Kiloseconds?

 

[matt.o]

yes, ks=kilo seconds. It is standard terminology for observation time in x-ray astronomy.

 

[neutrino]

yes, ks=kilo seconds. It is standard terminology for observation time in x-ray astronomy.

Thanks. I have never heard it before.

 

[Kea]

Dark matter is...

Extremal black holes of Planck mass. Could some astronomers please use this fact to come up with a galactic collision simulation before Monday.

cheers
Kea

 

[Chronos]

Kea, Planckian mass black holes would evaporate almost as soon as they formed. I think you misstated your point. You are a very bright girl, so I don't even consider the possibility I know more than you do on this subject - just question your basis for this assertion.

 

[PhysicsDilettante]

Any reaction from the experts here to the NASA story today?

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/starsgalaxies/dark_matter_proven.html

Frank

 

[neutrino]

There's a great post at CV from Sean Carroll
http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/08/21/dark-matter-exists/

 

[varsha]

this is another page about the proof of existence of dark matter:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0608/21darkmatter/"
the headline itself is eyecatching!

 

[LURCH]

I always get a bit suspicious when the peopel who write headlines use words like "proof", or researchers say things like

"These results are direct proof that dark matter exists."

That one's going to stir up a hornet's nest! But I suppose that's why he said it; to draw out the detrctors and force them to respond to the data. Their failure to refute will be a much stronger support of the claims being made.

 

[varsha]

ur absolutely right. that's how it works, doesn't it?

 

[Chronos]

I'm not comfortable with the term 'proof'. My crackpot detector goes off every time that word pops into a cosmology discussion. Compelling evidence has a more soothing ring. I can think of a criticism or two one might lodge against the 'proof' assertion. The backlash from less mainstream inclined souls will, I suspect, be - priceless. It's a stake in the heart for many alternative cosmological models. If Tokyo had only one working street light, how many resident moth collectors would gather there?