The term "dark matter" (or hidden mass) is used in various fields of science: in cosmology, astronomy, physics. This is a hypothetical subject - a form of space and time that directly interacts with electromagnetic radiation and does not pass it through itself.
Dark matter - what is it?
From time immemorial people were concerned about the origin of the universe and the processes that shape it. In the age of technology, important discoveries were made, and the theoretical base was substantially expanded. In 1922, the British physicist James Jeans and the Dutch astronomer Jacobus Kaptein discovered that most of the galactic matter is not visible. Then for the first time the term dark matter was named - this is a substance that can not be seen by any of the ways known to mankind. The presence of a mysterious substance gives out indirect signs - a gravitational field, gravity.
Dark matter in astronomy and cosmology
Assuming that all objects and parts in the universe are attracted to each other, astronomers were able to find a mass of visible space. But there was a discrepancy in real weight and predicted. And the scientists found out that there is an invisible mass, which accounts for up to 95% of the whole uncharted entity in the universe. Dark matter in space has the following features:
- is subject to gravity;
- affects other space objects,
- weakly interacts with the real world.
Dark matter is philosophy
A separate place is occupied by dark matter in philosophy. This science is engaged in the study of the world order, the foundations of being, the system of visible and invisible worlds. For the primary was taken a certain substance, determined by space, time, surrounding factors. Discovered much later, the mysterious dark matter of the cosmos changed the understanding of the world, its structure and evolution. In the philosophical sense, an unknown substance, as a clot of energy of space and time, is present in each of us, therefore people are mortal, because they consist of time that has an end.
Why do we need dark matter?
Only a small part of space objects (planets, stars, etc.) is a visible substance. By the standards of various scientists, dark energy and dark matter occupy almost the entire space in the Cosmos. The share of the first is 21-24%, the energy is 72%. Each substance of an obscure physical nature has its own functions:
- Black energy, which does not absorb and does not emit light, repels objects, forcing the universe to expand.
- Based on the hidden mass, galaxies are built, its power attracts objects in outer space, keeps them in their places. That is, it slows down the expansion of the universe.
What does dark matter consist of?
Dark matter in the solar system is something that can not be touched, examined and studied in detail. Therefore, several hypotheses are put forward concerning its nature and composition:
- The particles unknown to science that participate in gravitation are a constituent of this substance. It is impossible to detect them in a telescope.
- The phenomenon is a cluster of small black holes (no larger than the Moon).
It is possible to distinguish two types of hidden mass, depending on the velocity of its constituent particles, the density of their accumulation.
- It's hot. It is not enough to form galaxies.
- Cold. It consists of slow, massive clots. These components may be known to science axions and bosons.
Is there a dark matter?
All attempts to measure objects of an unexplored physical nature have not been successful. In 2012, the movement of 400 stars around the Sun was investigated, but the presence of a hidden substance in large volumes was not proven. Even if dark matter does not exist in reality, it takes place to be in theory. With its help explains the finding of objects of the universe in their places. Some scientists find evidence of the existence of a hidden cosmic mass. Her presence in the universe explains the fact that clusters of galaxies do not fly apart and stay together.
Dark matter - interesting facts
The nature of the hidden mass remains a mystery, but it continues to interest the scientists of the whole world. Regularly conducted experiments, with the help of which they try to investigate the substance itself and its side effects. And the facts about it continue to multiply. For example:
- The great Hadron Collider, which is the most powerful particle accelerator in the world, operates at increased power to reveal the existence of an invisible substance in the Cosmos. The world community with interest awaits the results.
- Japanese scientists create the world's first map of the hidden mass in space. It is planned to finish it by 2019.
- Recently, the theoretical physicist Lisa Randall suggested that dark matter and dinosaurs are related. This substance sent a comet to Earth, which destroyed life on the planet.
The components of our galaxy and the whole universe are light and dark matter, that is, visible and not visible objects. If with the study of the first modern technology copes, the methods are constantly being improved, then it is very problematic to investigate hidden substances. Mankind has not yet come to an understanding of this phenomenon. Invisible, intangible, but omnipresent dark matter was and remains one of the main mysteries of the universe.