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gunblaze
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Dark matter??
What's that?
What's that?
There are several threads in the Sticky thread "A&C reference library" (at the top of this sub-forum). Marcus feels that this thread to which I contributed a few posts is a good place to start on this topic.Originally posted by gunblaze
What's that?
Dark matter is a type of matter that does not interact with light or other forms of electromagnetic radiation, making it invisible to telescopes. It is estimated to make up about 85% of the total matter in the universe and is responsible for the gravitational effects that hold galaxies together.
Scientists study dark matter through various methods, such as observing the gravitational effects it has on visible matter, measuring the rotation curves of galaxies, and detecting its presence through indirect signals like gamma rays. They also use computer simulations to model and understand the behavior of dark matter.
There are several theories about the nature of dark matter, but the most widely accepted one is the Cold Dark Matter (CDM) theory. This theory suggests that dark matter is made up of slow-moving particles that interact only through gravity and the weak nuclear force. Other theories propose that dark matter could be made of other types of particles, such as axions or sterile neutrinos.
Dark matter plays a crucial role in the evolution and structure of the universe. Its gravitational effects help to pull matter together, forming large structures like galaxies and galaxy clusters. Without dark matter, these structures would not have formed, and the universe would look very different than it does today.
There are several ongoing efforts to unravel the mystery of dark matter, including experiments to directly detect dark matter particles, observations of galaxy clusters and gravitational lensing, and simulations to better understand the behavior of dark matter. Scientists are also working on alternative theories that could potentially explain the phenomena currently attributed to dark matter.