The Dark Matter Search

Unveiling the Mysteries of Dark Matter and Dark Energy in Modern Astrophysics

Our knowledge of cosmic physics is vast and diverse, covering countless fields of research—from the subatomic particles that make up the Standard Model to the colossal structures of the universe. However, the deeper we delve into the fundamental workings of the cosmos, the more questions these advancements leave us with.

In modern astrophysics, two major mysteries captivate the scientific community: the problems of dark matter and dark energy. These issues arise from discrepancies between astronomical observations of mass and energy in various galactic and extragalactic systems and the predictions derived from the theory of general relativity. These discrepancies suggest: 1) the presence of undetected dark matter-energy, 2) our current understanding of gravity is incorrect at these scales, or 3) a combination of both.

Extensive experimental evidence supports the first option. This begins with mass discrepancies observed in the rotational curves of spiral galaxies [Rubin, 1980], extends to studies of anisotropies in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) [Hinshaw et al., 2013], and includes analyses of Type II supernovae. Currently, this cosmological paradigm, known as the ΛCDM model, is the most widely accepted by the scientific community. It posits the existence of a dark component to the universe's total mass and energy: Λ represents the cosmological constant (dark energy), while CDM stands for Cold Dark Matter, referring to non-relativistic dark matter.