"We present a new way to think about, and perhaps identify, dark matter," says Robert Caldwell of Dartmouth College.
For nearly a century, scientists have been puzzled by the discrepancy between the visible mass in the universe and the rotation of galaxies. Physicists Guanming Liang and Robert Caldwell at Dartmouth College in the US have proposed a novel theory regarding dark matter. Their theory suggests that dark matter may have originated from massless particles moving at the speed of light in the early universe, which subsequently "froze" into massive clumps.
According to their model, approximately 13.7 billion years ago, high-energy Dirac fermion particles paired up, similar to electrons forming Cooper pairs in superconductors. As the universe cooled, these particle pairs underwent a radical transformation, transitioning from fast, hot particles to slow, massive ones. This transformation from energy to mass could explain the lower energy density observed today compared to the early cosmos.
The beauty of this theory lies in its simplicity. Unlike other dark matter theories, this one can be tested by searching for traces in the cosmic microwave background. The transformation of particles from hot and fast to cold and slow may have left a unique imprint in this radiation pattern, potentially providing strong evidence for the origin of dark matter.