Some have most likely heard the term dark matter or dark energy, but what exactly is dark matter and dark energy and what is their significance in the universe? dark matter was discovered in 1933 by Swiss American astronomer, Fritz Zwicky. Dark energy wasn't discovered until much later by two international teams of astronomer's in 1998. Astronomer's only have some information on both dark matter and dark energy, how they behave in the universe and how much of dark matter and dark energy make up the universe.
Dark matter:
Dark matter (in some some cosmological theories) is nonluminous material that is postulated to exist in space and that it could take any of several forms including weakly interacting particles known as cold dark matter or high energy randomly moving particles created soon after the Big Bang known as hot dark matter. Astronomers know that dark matter is, well dark, meaning that it is not in the form of stars or planets that we can see. Dark matter also makes up about 27% of the universe. Another thing that astronomer's know is that dark matter is not in the form of dark clouds of normal matter made up of particles called baryons. Astronomers know this because according to nasa.gov, "we would be able to detect baryonic clouds by their absorption of radiation passing through them" (nasa.gov, 1). The other thing that astronomer's know about dark matter is that dark matter is not antimatter because we can not see the unique gamma rays that are produced when antimatter annihilates with matter.
At this point, there are still a few dark matter possibilities that are viable. Baryonic matter could still make up the dark matter if it were all tied up in brown dwarfs or in small, dense chunks of heavy elements. These possibilities are known as massive compact halo objects or "MACHO's". But the most common views is that dark matter is not baryonic at all and is possibly made up of other more exotic particles like axions or "WIMPS" (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles).
Dark energy:
More is unknown than is known when it comes to dark energy. Astronomers do know how much dark energy there is based on how it affects the universe's expansion. Other than that, it is a complete mystery. It turns out that roughly 68% of the universe is made of dark energy. One explanation of dark energy is that it is a property of space. Albert Einstein was the first person to realize that empty space is not nothing. The first property that Einstein discovered is that it is possible for more space to come into existence. "One version of Einstein's gravity theory, the version that contains a cosmological constant, makes a second prediction: "empty space" can possess its own energy", according to earthsky.org. Another explanation for how space acquires energy comes from the quantum theory of matter. In this theory, "empty space" is actually full of temporary particles that continually form and then disappear.
Dark energy could be a new kind of dynamical energy fluid or field, something that fills all of space but something whose effect on the expansion of the universe is the opposite of that of matter and normal energy. The thing that is needed to decide between dark energy possibilities, a property of space, a new dynamic fluid, or a new theory of gravity, leads to more data that could be better data.
More information is known about dark matter than dark energy, yet dark energy makes up more of the universe. The mystery still continues to find an answer of what dark energy is and also to find an answer of what dark matter is. Dark energy is seeming to have some complications to cracking the code, while dark matter just seems hard to fully get a grasp on what exactly it is. Although dark matter and dark energy is still a mystery, a new theory has been developed that could possibly solve the answer to what dark matter and dark energy is. This theory was introduced by Dr. Farnes, which he stated that "We now think that both dark matter and dark energy can be unified into a fluid which possesses a type of "negative gravity", repelling all other material around them". This theory could be a major breakthrough for many astronomers and astrophysicists, but is still underway until the Square Kilometer Array telescope is built.
- “Scientists May Have Solved One of the Biggest Mysteries in the Universe.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 5 Dec. 2018, www.independent.co.uk/news/science/dark-matter-energy-solution-theory-negative-mass-astronomy-astrophysics-a8668476.html.
- “Dark Energy, Dark Matter.” NASA, NASA, science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/what-is-dark-energy.
- Briggs, Andy. “What Is Dark Energy?” EarthSky, 2020, earthsky.org/space/definition-what-is-dark-energy.
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