What's Happening?
A team from the University of Geneva has conducted a study to determine whether dark matter behaves like ordinary matter under gravitational forces. Published in Nature Communications, the research suggests
that dark matter falls into gravitational wells in the same way as ordinary matter, adhering to Euler's equations. This finding challenges the notion that dark matter might be influenced by a fifth force. The study involved comparing the velocities of galaxies with the depth of gravitational wells, concluding that dark matter is governed solely by gravity. However, the possibility of an unknown force influencing dark matter remains open, as any such force would need to be weaker than 7% of gravity to have gone undetected in current analyses.
Why It's Important?
This research is significant as it provides a clearer understanding of dark matter, which constitutes a major part of the universe's mass. By confirming that dark matter obeys gravitational laws similar to ordinary matter, the study supports existing cosmological models and theories, such as Einstein's theory of general relativity. This could have implications for future research and experiments aimed at detecting dark matter and understanding its role in the universe. The findings also suggest that any new forces acting on dark matter are likely very weak, guiding future studies to focus on detecting such subtle influences.
What's Next?
Future experiments, such as those conducted by the LSST and DESI, are expected to provide more sensitive data that could detect forces as weak as 2% of gravity. These upcoming studies will help further explore the behavior of dark matter and potentially identify any unknown forces acting upon it. The research community will continue to analyze cosmological data to refine our understanding of dark matter and its interactions.
