Dark Matter May Not Exists

[planetling]

I couldn't find anything related to this in the forum, maybe I didn't search right :?

I've read and seen on space related programming that until dark matter was "invented", formulas and number crunching just didn't add up. Something was needed to explain the expansion of the universe as well as its increasing speed.

If dark matter were eliminated from the equation, as so far there is no way (besides mathematics) to prove its existence, would it not make sense that it just doesn't exist at all?

If we were 1 universe among countless (multiverse) would it not make sense that our universe is expanding due to gravitational forces from surrounding universes, and thus the reason the speed of which is also increasing?

Would this hypothesis enable the elimination of dark matter, or am I off in reasoning?

 

[MeteorWayne]

You appear to be referring to dark energy, not dark matter. The evidence for dark matter is from rotation curves of galaxies, motion of galaxy clusters, and gravitational lensing from matter that can't be detected by any other means.

Dark energy is not needed to explain the expansion of the Universe, but rather the acceleraton of the expansion.
And without dark energy (whatever it is) the expansion cannot be explained.
Could it be from other Universes? It's possible, one of a multitude of possibilities.

 

[planetling]

MeteorWayne, thanks for the correction.

Is there anybody in the accepted community who is working on proving a multi-verse model that would completely discount dark energy altogether? I would be interested in reading material if you could reference anything.

 

[MeteorWayne]

There are discussions about this in other fora, such as Space Science and Technology and/or Physics. Let me see if I can find one to direct you to.

 

[Astro_Robert]

Planetling,

There are alternative theories out there, although most of them have fewer proponents and are viewed as less likely. Actuall I did a test, and typed 'alternative to dark energy' in my browser search engine and came up with a couple of good hits.

The first was an article here on SDC Aug-2009 about 'The Big Wave' theory. In the article they do mention that the current Dark Energy theory is able to account for certain observed physical traits of the universe (nucleosynthesis) fairly well, and that any competing theory would have to be developed to where it could do better.
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/090817-dark-energy-alternative.html

Wikipedia also was listed. Apparently the Dark Energy page has a small section on alternative theories.

 

[captdude]

It would seem to me that of all the fundamental forces; gravity is the least understood and the one we do not fully have a handle on. Having said that, if our understanding of gravities effects over extremely large distances is incorrect - then we could do away with dark matter altogether.

 

[Keln]

It would seem to me that of all the fundamental forces; gravity is the least understood and the one we do not fully have a handle on. Having said that, if our understanding of gravities effects over extremely large distances is incorrect - then we could do away with dark matter altogether.

I agree with that. And whether there is a "dark energy" or not...what does it matter? If there is, there is. If there isn't there isn't. I think it is funny how some folks seem to take it personally. Our preferences about how the universe works are irrelevant. All we need to do is objectively observe and test, and the answers will make themselves clear. If it requires an imaginary construct to make the math work then that presents two things to consider. First, that there is either something wrong with our theories or that there really is something else that is "dark" to us. Second, it is ok to use something like dark energy as a "place-holder", but don't forget that the invented variable doesn't really exist until we prove it.

 

[captdude]

Amen brother...............

 

[starialove]

UUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM planetling there is such thing is a dark matter is a really old galaxy and maybe similar to a blackhole.