Data obtained from a new study radically narrows the range of potential masses for
The results show that dark matter can be neither “superlight” nor “superheavy” unless acted upon by an as yet undiscovered force.
Scientists used the assumption thatthe only force acting on dark matter is gravity, and calculated that dark matter particles should have a mass between 10−3 eV and 107 eV. This is a much narrower range than the typically assumed 10-24 eV spectrum — 1019 GeV.
What makes the discovery even more significant?If it turns out that the mass of dark matter is outside the range predicted by the team at the University of Sussex, this will prove that it is subject to additional force, as well as gravity.
This research will help physicists.Firstly, it will focus the search for dark matter, and secondly, it will potentially help reveal whether there is a mysterious unknown extra force in the Universe.
Professor Xavier Calmet, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Sussex
Visible Universe—planetsand stars make up 25% of the total mass of the Universe. The remaining 75% is dark matter. This is a form of matter that does not participate in electromagnetic interaction and is therefore inaccessible to direct observation. It is about a quarter of the mass-energy of the Universe and is manifested only in gravitational interaction.
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Electron volt (electron volt, rarelyelectron volt; Russian designation: eV, international: eV) is a non-systemic unit of energy used in atomic and nuclear physics, in elementary particle physics and in related and related fields of science (biophysics, physical chemistry, astrophysics, etc.).
The energies in the world of elementary particles are also too small to be measured in Joules. Instead, the unit of energy is usedelectron-volt(eV). 1 eV, by definition, is the energy that an electron will acquire in an electric field when it passes a potential difference of 1 volt. 1 eV is approximately equal to 1.6 · 10-19 J.