Cold Dark Matter

Scientists recently found a new approach to explore cold dark matter (CDM), a hypothetical dark matter that constitutes 25% of the current Universe.

About Cold Dark Matter:

• Cold dark matter (CDM) is a theoretical form of dark matter that, along with dark energy, constitutes a significant portion of the total mass and energy content of the universe.
• Dark matter is an elusive and invisible form of matter that does not emit, absorb, or reflect light, making it challenging to detect directly.
• Its presence is inferred from its gravitational effects on visible matter, such as galaxies and galaxy clusters.
• The term “cold” in cold dark matter refers to the form of dark matter that is assumed to move relatively slowly compared to the speed of light.
• CDM is used to explain the large-scale structure of the universe, including the formation and distribution of galaxies and galaxy clusters.
• The prevailing cosmological model (Lambda-CDM model), incorporates both cold dark matter and dark energy.
• CDM provides the gravitational scaffolding that facilitates the formation of cosmic structures.
• Dark energy can be responsible for the observed accelerated expansion of the universe.
• Various candidates for dark matter particles have been proposed, including Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) and axions, but direct detection is challenging.

Key Findings of the study:

• A paper by Raman Research Institute (RRI), under the Department of Science and Technology (DST) confirmed the relevance of WIMP.
• The universe is composed of approximately 70% dark energy and 25% dark matter, both of which remain poorly understood.
• The cosmological model describes the universe’s large-scale structures, dynamics, and fundamental questions about its origin, evolution, and fate.
• The particle physics model delves into the basic building blocks of the universe.
• The standard cosmological model has been successful, but confusion arises due to discrepancies between the two models.
• The researchers considered a model in which unstable WIMPs decay and one of the decay products acts as cold dark matter.
• Such particle arises naturally in extensions of standard model of particle physics and predicts the correct energy density of the CDM for a range of interaction strength (WIMP miracle).

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