DARK MATTER, A FUNCTION OF SPACE
An Alternative to a Dark Matter Particle
INTRODUCTION
In the physics world a comment often stated is “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.” This is in essence a true statement. However, it is not a completely true statement. At some point in time the absence of evidence can, and in many cases does, reveal the fact that something is absent and/or does not exist. The question is, at what point does the “absence of evidence” become the reality that something being looked for simply does not exist?
This is the situation of dark matter today.
To date all of the experiments looking for dark matter have failed to find dark matter or any evidence that it exists in the particle form being looked for. At some point in time the ongoing failure of the current dark matter search experiments has to at least question if dark matter is in fact a particle. And, that maybe it is time to look for another form of dark matter while continuing to still look for a dark matter particle.
This paper is looking at a different explanation for dark matter.
DISCUSSION
Dark matter what is it? The answer to this question is one of the most sought after answers in physics today. Because, an answer here opens up a whole new world of physics. The problem with finding an answer to this question is how do you look for something that you literally know almost nothing about? If almost nothing is known about dark matter, than how is it possible to know that it exists? In the case of dark matter, if it doesn’t exist then most everything known about gravity is wrong.
What is known about dark matter is that something is there that gravitationally interacts with the visible matter in the universe. More gravity is necessary in order to explain how our current universe is working. So, the name for whatever exist in the universe to account for the additional gravity necessary for the universe to work is dark matter. However, other than gravity nothing else can be determined about dark matter because it does not interact with anything in any other way. It cannot be seen in any other way other than through gravity.
So, if you are trying to find something that you cannot see, you virtually know nothing about, and other than gravity it does not physically interact with anything that is currently known, how do you start your search? The best place to start is what you know best and has been the most successful. In this case, the known physics that explains most of the universe and is for the most part well understood and successful is the Standard Model.
The short story for the standard model is there are 17 or 18 different particles that make up all of the mass/matter that we know of in the universe. The difference in the number is whether or not you count the Higgs Boson. For this paper it does not matter if the Higgs Boson is counted in the mix of particles or not counted.
The key word here is particle. For about the last 50 or so year, since the discovery of the first quarks, modern physics has been all about particles. Multiple particle colliders have been built to crash particles together in order to see what come out of the collisions, and to try and better understand our current knowledge of the particles we know about. One of the main purposes of particle colliders is to also discover new particles.
Probably the most well known, and most expensive, modern theory is String Theory. The key ingredient for the success of string theory is Super-Symmetry. The basic thing about super-symmetry is that it more than doubles the size of the current number of standard model particles. In other words, the hunt is on at the particle colliders in order to find a lot more particles.
SIDE NOTE: So far none of the particles associated with super-symmetry have been discovered. Under the original theory the super-symmetry particles should have been seen a long time ago at the CERN Super Collider. Since the particles have yet to be found, the physical characteristics of the particles keep changing to account for why they have not been found. One has to wonder if maybe there is a problem with super-symmetry since it has to keep being revised in order to account for the lack of any of the new theorized particles.
So, when history is considered along with the current most popular theory, the status and the importance placed on “particles” is clear. That is, everything has to be a particle, even all of the things that modern science knows nothing about. In other words, current modern theory says that dark matter is a particle. However, the is zero evidence that dark matter is, or even has to be, a particle. The fact of the matter is that maybe the evidence is showing that dark matter is not a particle.
Over the last 30 plus years there have been many hypothesis as to what kind of particle dark matter must be. The following is a particle list;
Dark Photons, normal photons have no mass, but these are photons that have a very tiny mass. A mass so small that it is 20 orders of magnitude smaller than an electron. For perspective, 20 orders of magnitude is a little less than a Sextillion, which is a trillion billion. In other words, for every single electron in existence in our universe there are a trillion billion dark photons. Furthermore, dark matter represents 85% of the mass/matter of the universe. Based on the total amount of dark photons that would have to exist our universe would exist in a dark photon soup.
WIMPS, Weakly Interacting Massive Particles. Saying it is a “Massive” particle means that it is bigger than any other particle that is currently known. How much bigger? There are some estimates but this is an unanswered question.
SIMPS, Strongly Interacting Massive Particles. Basically a WIMP only now it has a strong interaction.
GIMPS, Gravitationally Interacting Massive Particles. This particle interacts gravitationally with anything.
Heavy Neutrinos, Right Handed Neutrinos, Sterile Neutrinos, heavy neutrinos speaks for itself. It has neutrino like properties but it weighs more than a normal neutrino. If it weighs more than a normal neutrino, how can you call it a neutrino? Why isn’t it just another particle with a different name added to the list? Right handed neutrinos are hypothesized because currently in our universe there are only left handed neutrinos while all other particles come in left and right handed versions. (Left or right handedness is a quantum property of particles. Looking at left-handed asymmetry within our universe is a paper all on its own.) Sterile Neutrinos are hypothesized to be a fourth “flavor” that Neutrinos can morph into and then morph back to their original flavor. (The standard model has three flavors or generations of neutrinos) One thing to keep in mind about any kind of neutrinos as dark matter particle candidates, there would have to be a little over 15 times as many dark matter neutrinos as normal neutrinos. This would in essence violate the principle of symmetry.
SIDE NOTE: The above listed troubles with neutrinos being a dark matter particle is just a small portion of the unanswered questions and problems for some type of neutrino to be a dark matter particle candidate. Listing the issues with neutrinos being a dark matter particle is a separate dedicated paper.
HYPER, HighlY Interactive ParticlE Relics. In short, this theory basically says that dark matter had a variable gravity that changed with time as the universe progressed. This change requires another particle to mediate the change, but what this other particle is and its properties are not stated. But it is mathematically determined that this particle has a mass size within in the range of the current dark matter detection experiments.
AXIONS, This particle was theorized in 1977 in order to solve another significant problem in modern physics. As the properties of the Axion were theorized it was also hypothesized that the axion could also account for dark matter. The Axion is estimated to be about one-10 billionth the mass of an electron. Original estimates had the Axion at about half this size. Again, considering the Axion size and 85% more additional mass it must account for, the universe would be an Axion Soup.
This is a partial list of the various particles that have been hypothesized for being dark matter. Modern physics has thought up all of these possible particle solutions for dark matter. As one type of dark matter particle is not found, better but different particles are hypothesized in order to account for the lack of discovery. Despite 30 years of building bigger and better search mechanism the search for any dark matter particle has failed to detect anything. However, the types of particles dark matter could be shows no signs of slowing down.
So here is the most basic question that needs to be answered, how do these hypothetical particles actually make up dark matter? The dark matter in the universe is basically clumped throughout the universe, and it makes up the dark matter halos around galaxies. So how do dark matter particles travel throughout the universe without joining some clump or galactic halo? That is, how do dark matter particles travel through galactic halos and dark matter clumps and keep on going without being stopped? How come dark matter particles do not interact with normal mass in the middle of galaxies and from clumps in the middle of a galaxy? For example how come there is no dark matter clumps or halos associated with black holes?
Simply put, modern physics is searching for a dark matter particle but does not know or understand how this particle will actually work as dark matter within our universe. How do you look for and try to find a particle, or anything for that matter, when you do not know how it works? How do you come up with a solution for dark matter, when so little about it is actually known? More importantly, how do you justify dark matter being a particle when it does so many things that conflict with being a particle?
Besides a particle, what else could dark matter be? to answer this question it is necessary to build from our basic knowledge of the universe and follow the clues nature gives us. So what do we know?
The most basic fact is that the space of the universe is expanding. For the most part all galaxies are moving away from each other and the distance between them is expanding. However, the space within galaxies is stable. Our solar system is not moving away from the center of the galaxy. Currently the only known cosmic property separating the space of the universe from the space of galaxies is galactic Dark Matter halos. The most reasonable conclusion is that dark matter must somehow be keeping galactic space from expanding like the universe space. Dark Matter; A Galactic Dyson Sphere: https://medium.com/@philofysks/dark-matter-a-galactic-dyson-sphere-3a88908c959e
Building on the above information, the dark matter halos along with the galaxies they embed are moving with the expanding space of the universe. This represents three possibilities;
- Dark matter is actually embedded in the universe space,
- Dark matter floats on the universe space,
- Dark matter sticks to the universe space.
Each of these tree options are valid and can be evaluated on for their own merits and potential. However, looking at the three above options, the simplest case is that dark matter is embedded and/or is part of the universe space. Following the simplest case is the best option to start with.
A more detailed discussion on these three options can be found in the paper, Dark Matter and What it Does With Our Universe: https://medium.com/@philofysks/dark-matter-and-what-it-does-with-our-universe-c8e861c77933
Dark matter has other universe related characteristics associated with it. It interacts with itself. That is dark matter interacts with other dark matter. It is sticky and flexible. These physical universe related characteristics are evident in the various stages and types of colliding galaxies.
A more detailed discussion on these characteristics can be found in the paper: Dark Matter: What is its Purpose: https://medium.com/@philofysks/dark-matter-what-is-its-purpose-622c4ea1fd8e
An evaluation of the information covered above clearly reveals that Dark matter is very distinct and unique in many ways. And that trying to define dark matter as a particle represents, and creates, a number of significant questions and issues that have no answers. None of the theoretical dark matter particles discussed above, nor any of the theoretical dark matter particles not covered in this paper, provides a clean, clear solution for dark matter as a particle. In other words, dark matter as a particle does not answer any of the questions posed in this paper. Dark matter as a particle also cannot account for the actual currently known physical characteristics of dark matter as it interacts with the universe, normal matter and itself.
If dark matter is not a particle, than what is it?
There are no clean answers to this question. If it is something that science/physics does not know about or understand at this time then it is necessary to wait until more information becomes available. But, the universe is not out of options just yet as to what dark matter maybe. Maybe dark matter is part of, or directly associated with, space itself. This would be consistent with the information just discussed.
Space is not empty. This includes the expanding areas of large voids between galaxies. Modern physics tells us that what is thought of as empty space is actually dynamic. Relativity gives us the idea of the “fabric” of spacetime. That is, space is bent, warped or curved as a response to the gravity of a massive body such as a sun or a planet and especially around a black hole. The stronger the gravity is from a massive body, the greater the warping/curving of the “fabric” of spacetime. It is this warping/curving of space caused by our sun, and the planets themselves, that sets up and allows for the stable orbits of the planets in the solar system.
Also, consider quantum mechanics. Current field theory says that space is filled with fields and energy. In modern theory it is actually possible for particles and interactions to borrow energy from space/fields. Additionally, virtual particles are constantly popping in and out of existence in empty space. Additionally, space is expanding. This means that all of the fields and energy embedded in space are also expanding. Current modern theory is that the energy density of space is constant. This means that energy must be flowing into the expanding empty space. The big question is where is this energy coming from? Currently there are no answers or theories for this question.
Space is dynamic, it can bend, curve and warp. There is also a constant influx of energy through out the universe as it expands. In other words there is a lot about the universe space that we simply do not understand and have answers or theories for. Dark matter is another one of these things about the space of the universe that is simply not understood. Given all that we don’t know and understand, along with what we do know and understand, science is probably looking for dark matter in the wrong place. Rather than being a particle, there is a strong potential that Dark Matter is a function of space itself.
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
There is another area for consideration, the space of the universe is expanding. The current theory is this expansion is being driven by dark energy. Simply put, the current theory is that dark energy is causing the universe space to grow. How is dark energy doing this? Nobody knows. What if the energy associated with the growing fields and energy of empty space is dark energy? And what if this growing dark energy that is part of fields and space itself is actually pushing on space causing it to grow? If dark energy is actually pushing space apart this can mean that dark matter may also be another part of the space of the universe in a manner like fields and energy. That is, dark matter is “A Function of Space.”
One other outside of the box thought, dark energy, like dark matter, is also part of total amount of gravity in the universe. In fact it is the biggest part. What if dark matter is simply another form of dark energy? As dark energy moves through the space of the universe and it starts to interact with galaxies and other mass it “hardens” giving us the “dark matter” we currently see.
CONCLUSIONS
Today’s science has been looking for a dark matter particle for over 30 years. As the searches fails to find any dark matter particle candidates, new exotic theories involving new exotic particles are theorized in order to maintain a search for a dark matter particle. In other words, in the eyes of modern science dark matter must be a particle. There are no other possible theories. A portion of the theorized dark matter particles and exotic new dark matter particle theories were covered in this paper.
The question that has to be asked is how long does the search for a dark matter particle go on, and how many new exotic dark matter particle theories have to come forward, and also fail, before science starts to think that maybe dark matter is not a particle? The time has come to start looking at dark matter as being something other than “another” particle in the modern science zoo of theoretical particles waiting to be discovered. As Dr. Hossenfelder has stated, the current Standard Model of Particles is working just fine and doesn’t need to be complicated by another and/or more particles; see the note below.
NOTE: Sabina Hossenfelder, Ph.D, put out a video titled What is Going Wrong with Particle Physics? (This is why I lost faith in science) that talks about this very topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu4mH3Hmw2o
Modern science has clearly discovered that the space of the universe is dynamic in many ways. It is far more than simply just empty space between galaxies and galactic clusters. It is time to look at space itself as being a potential solution to the dark matter problem. Those who still believe that dark matter is a particle can continue to search for this elusive dark matter particle. Science is about imagination, investigation and discovery. It is possible to research two competing theories at the same time. In fact, many times it is necessary to look at a competing scientific hypothesis. The evidence is there, it has been provided by the nature of our universe itself, it is possible that dark matter is a function of space itself.
Steve Guderian, March 7, 2023
