August 27, 2024
Galaxies are surrounded by invisible halos of dark matter. These halos exert a gravitational pull on the visible matter in galaxies, keeping them from flying apart.
While dark matter doesn't interact with electromagnetic radiation (like light), it does interact with itself through gravity. This self-interaction could potentially explain certain astronomical observations.
There are several leading candidates for what dark matter might be, including weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs), axions, and sterile neutrinos. However, none of these have been definitively detected.
Some scientists propose that our understanding of gravity might be incomplete, and that the observed effects of dark matter could be explained by modifications to the laws of gravity rather than the existence of a new type of matter.
Dark matter plays a crucial role in the formation and evolution of large-scale structures in the universe, such as galaxy clusters and filaments. Understanding dark matter is essential for understanding the universe's history and future.