What is dark matter? Is there dark matter?

The Question of the origin of the Universe, its past and future were on the minds of people since time immemorial. For centuries, theories have arisen and been challenged at the picture of the world, based on the known data. A profound shock to the scientific world was the theory of relativity. She made an enormous contribution to the understanding of the processes that shape the Universe. However, the theory of relativity could not claim the title of the ultimate truth, which does not require any additions. Improved technology has enabled astronomers to make previously unthinkable discoveries that demanded a new theoretical framework or significant expansion of existing provisions. One of these phenomena has become dark matter. But about all under the order.

Bygone days

To understand the term "dark matter" back to the beginning of the last century. At the time, was dominated by the view of the Universe as a stationary structure. Meanwhile the General theory of relativity (GTR) assumed that sooner or later gravity will lead to “stick together” all objects of the cosmos in a single coil will occur the so-called gravitational collapse. Between space objects, there are no repulsive forces. Mutual attraction kompensiruet centrifugal forces, creating a constant movement of stars, planets and other bodies. This maintains the balance of the system.

To prevent the theoretical collapse of the Universe, Einstein added a cosmological constant - the value, bringing the system in the required steady state, but it is actually invented, without obvious reason.

Expanding universe

Calculate and open Friedmann and Hubble showed there is no need to disrupt the orderly equations of General relativity by means of the new constant. It has been proven, and today, this fact is almost no one doubts that the universe is expanding, it was once a beginning, and on stationarity of speech can not go. Further development of cosmology has led to the emergence of the big Bang theory. The main confirmation of the new assumptions — the observed increase over time of the distance between the galaxies. It is the measurement of the rate of removal from each other adjacent space systems and led to the formation of the hypothesis that there is dark matter and dark energy.

Data is not consistent with the theory

Fritz Zwicky in 1931, and then Jan Oort in 1932 and in the 1960s dealt with the calculation of the mass of galaxies in the remote cluster and its ratio with the speed of removal of them from each other. From time to time, scientists come to the same conclusions: that the number of substances is not enough to create the gravity could hold together the galaxies, moving at such high speeds. Zwicky and Oort suggested that there is hidden mass, dark matter of the Universe, space does not allow objects to scatter in different directions.

However, the hypothesis gained recognition of the scientific world only in the seventies, after the announcement of the results of the work of Vera Rubin. She built rotation curves, demonstrating the dependence of the velocity of the substance of a galaxy to the distance which separates it from the system. Contrary to theoretical assumptions was that the speeds of stars as the distance from the galactic center do not decrease, but increase. To explain this behavior of the stars was only possible in the presence of the galaxy halo, which fills the dark matter. Astronomy, therefore, is faced with an entirely unexplored part of the universe.

Properties and structure

This type of Dark matter called because it cannot be seen by any existing methods. Its presence is identified by circumstantial evidence: dark matter creates a gravitational field, while not absolutely radiating electromagnetic waves.

The most Important task faced by scientists was the answer to the question, what is the matter. Astrophysicists tried to “fill” her usual baryonic matter (baryonic matter is composed of more or less studied protons, neutrons, and electrons). In the dark halo of galaxies included compact slabokislami stars like brown dwarfs and huge mass close to the planet Jupiter. However, such assumptions do not stand the test. Baryonic matter, the familiar and known, thus, cannot play a significant role in a hidden mass of galaxies.

Today, the search for unknown componentsengaged in physics. Practical findings of scientists are based on the theory of supersymmetry of the microcosm, according to which for every known particle there is a supersymmetric pair. Here they constitute the dark matter. However, evidence of the existence of such particles yet failed to obtain, it may the nearest future.

Dark energy

The Discovery of a new type of matter did not end the surprises that prepared the universe scientists. In 1998, astrophysicists had another chance to compare the data of theories with facts. This year was marked by the explosion of a supernova in a distant galaxy. Astronomers have measured the distance to it and it was amazing the data obtained: the star flashed out much farther than it was supposed to be according to the existing theory. It turned out that the expansion rate of the Universe increases with time: now it is much higher than it was 14 billion years ago, presumably when the big Bang happened.

As is known to accelerate the movement of the body, it is necessary to transfer energy. The force that compels the Universe to expand faster, became known as dark energy. It is not less mysterious part of space than dark matter. It is only known that it is characterized by a uniform distribution throughout the Universe, and to register its impact only on the great cosmic distances.

And again the cosmological constant

Dark energy has shaken the big Bang theory. Part of the scientific world is skeptical of the possibility of such substance caused by accelerating expansion. Some astrophysicists are trying to revive a forgotten Einstein's cosmological constant, which is again from the category of large scientific errors may go into a number of working hypotheses. Its presence in the equations creates antigravity, leading to the acceleration of the expansion. However, some consequences of the presence of the cosmological constant are not consistent with observations.

Today, dark matter and dark energy, constituting a large part of matter in the Universe — riddles for scientists. A definite answer to the question of their nature. Moreover, it may not be the last mystery, that keeps us from space. Dark matter and energy can become the threshold of new discoveries that could revolutionize our understanding of the Universe.