Dark Matter is a type of matter that makes up about 85% of the total matter in the universe. It does not interact with light, making it invisible to telescopes. However, its presence can be inferred through its gravitational effects on visible matter. Dark Matter is important because it helps explain the structure and evolution of the universe.
Dark Matter was first discovered in the 1930s by Swiss astronomer Fritz Zwicky. He observed that the rotational speeds of galaxies were much higher than expected based on the amount of visible matter in the galaxy. This led him to theorize the existence of invisible matter, which he called "Dark Matter."
While Dark Matter remains a mystery, scientists have made progress in understanding its properties. It is believed to be made up of particles that are not yet detected, such as Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) or Axions. It is also thought to be spread out in a "halo" around galaxies, providing the gravitational pull needed to explain their rotation.
Dark Matter plays a crucial role in our understanding of the universe, and its existence challenges our current understanding of physics. Many theories, such as supersymmetry, predict the existence of particles that could make up Dark Matter. Therefore, studying Dark Matter could provide valuable insights into new physics and help us understand the fundamental laws of the universe.
There are many ongoing research efforts focused on Dark Matter, including experiments to directly detect Dark Matter particles, such as the Large Underground Xenon (LUX) experiment. Other studies involve observing the effects of Dark Matter on the cosmic microwave background, the oldest light in the universe. Additionally, scientists are using large-scale simulations to better understand the distribution and properties of Dark Matter in the universe.