Neutrinos May Constitute Dark Matter
TNRTB Archive – Retained for reference information
Theoretical calculations may shed light on the elusive nature of dark matter (which is thought to comprise about a quarter of the universe). While the existence and quantity of dark matter in the universe are well confirmed, scientists do not understand any of its properties except its gravitational behavior. Two scientists recently showed that a particular type of neutrino (a light, fundamental particle that also interacts weakly with matter) can account for the bulk of dark matter in the universe. Additionally, the presence of these neutrinos would explain some observations of pulsar velocities and result in accelerated star formation early in the universe. Whether these neutrinos actually comprise the dark matter remains to be verified by astronomical and laboratory observations, but scientists continue to make progress toward filling in the details of RTB’s cosmic creation model.
- Peter L. Biermann and Alexander Kusenko, “Relic keV Sterile Neutrinos and Reionization,” Physical Review Letters 96 (2006): e091301.
- https://xxx.uni-augsburg.de/abs/astro-ph/0601004
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