What is the History of Dark Matter?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the historical development of dark matter as a crucial component of modern cosmology, as detailed in the paper "A History of Dark Matter" by Gianfranco Bertone and Dan Hooper (arXiv:1605.04909). It highlights the observational discoveries and theoretical arguments that led to the acceptance of dark matter in the standard cosmological model. The conversation emphasizes that while dark matter is a measurable phenomenon, its nature remains unknown, prompting ongoing theoretical and experimental efforts to understand it better. Additionally, there is curiosity about an upcoming paper by Erik Verlinde that may provide further insights.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of cosmology and its fundamental concepts
  • Familiarity with observational astrophysics techniques
  • Knowledge of theoretical physics related to high energy phenomena
  • Awareness of the historical context of scientific paradigms
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the implications of dark matter in the standard cosmological model
  • Explore observational techniques used in cosmology, such as gravitational lensing
  • Investigate Erik Verlinde's theories on emergent gravity and its relation to dark matter
  • Study the historical development of scientific theories in astrophysics
USEFUL FOR

Astrophysicists, cosmologists, historians of science, and anyone interested in the evolution of theories surrounding dark matter and its implications in modern physics.

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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Likes   Reactions: haushofer, ShayanJ, DrSteve and 2 others
'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
 
Personally, I'm curious about this 'about to come out'-new paper by Erik Verlinde.
 

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