A History of Dark Matter (1605.04909v2)

Abstract: Although dark matter is a central element of modern cosmology, the history of how it became accepted as part of the dominant paradigm is often ignored or condensed into a brief anecdotical account focused around the work of a few pioneering scientists. The aim of this review is to provide the reader with a broader historical perspective on the observational discoveries and the theoretical arguments that led the scientific community to adopt dark matter as an essential part of the standard cosmological model.

• The paper details the progression from early philosophical musings to quantitative observations that firmly establish dark matter's existence.
• The paper applies historical analysis and key astronomical findings, such as flat galaxy rotation curves and virial theorem insights from galaxy clusters.
• The paper connects past discoveries to the modern Lambda-CDM framework, emphasizing dark matter’s pivotal role in shaping cosmological theory and future research.

A Detailed Examination of the History and Development of Dark Matter Theory

This paper, "A History of Dark Matter," authored by Gianfranco Bertone and Dan Hooper, rigorously traces the evolution of the dark matter concept in cosmology, elucidating the empirical discoveries and theoretical advancements that have made dark matter a cornerstone of the standard cosmological model. The authors provide a comprehensive historical context, revisiting the incremental scientific insights that have culminated in the current understanding of dark matter.

Early Speculations and Discoveries

The exploration begins with the philosophical musings of ancient civilizations regarding invisible matter, which laid the groundwork for later scientific inquiry. The transition from speculative cosmological models to empirical science occurred with developments such as Galileo's telescopic observations, which intimated that unseen entities, possibly matter, shaped the Universe.

19th and Early 20th Century Insights

Progress surged with Newtonian mechanics providing tools to calculate gravitational interactions, leading to propositions of non-luminous heavenly bodies by John Michell and later critically assessed by Friedrich Bessel. The 19th century's growing confidence in the applicability of Newton’s laws to celestial mechanics fueled conjectures on dark stars and planets as potential forms of invisible matter.

Notably, Lord Kelvin and later Henri Poincaré suggested that dark matter could significantly contribute to the Milky Way's mass, a theory largely grounded in the dynamics observable within star systems. As data accumulated, scholars such as Jacobus Kapteyn and Jan Oort began to quantitatively estimate the Milky Way’s mass distribution, insinuating the presence of non-luminous matter.

Galaxy Clusters and Refinement of the Dark Matter Hypothesis

The paper highlights significant strides in the understanding of dark matter's role in galaxy clusters, largely due to Fritz Zwicky's pioneering application of the virial theorem in the 1930s. Zwicky's analyses of the Coma Cluster revealed discrepancies in mass that suggested a considerable presence of non-luminous matter, which he referred to as "dunkle Materie" -- or dark matter. These findings were bolstered by subsequent studies by Sinclair Smith on the Virgo Cluster, furthering the case for a substantial, unseen mass component.

Acknowledging Galactic Rotation Curves and Structured Theories

The seminal work conducted on galactic rotation curves, particularly by Vera Rubin, Kent Ford, Albert Bosma, and others, demonstrated that the velocity of stars in galaxies did not decline with distance from the galactic center, as predicted by visible matter alone. This so-called "flat" rotation curve became a pivotal observational evidence for dark matter, necessitating the hypothesis of an extended, massive halo surrounding galaxies.

Theoretical Frameworks and Particle Physics

As spectacular observational data demanding explanations accumulated, theorists began to conceptualize dark matter as an essential component suffusing the universe. This era saw the rise of cosmology as a rigorous scientific field complemented by numerical simulations in the 1980s that underscored cold dark matter's gravitational constraints and characteristics on structure formation.

Integration into the Standard Cosmological Model

By conglomerating these myriad findings, the scientific community calibrated the dark matter paradigm into the Lambda Cold Dark Matter ($\Lambda$CDM) model, harmonizing with insights from cosmic microwave background studies and large-scale structure surveys. This model remains dominant, buttressed by astronomical evidence and accommodating ongoing dark matter research.

Implications and Forward Look

"The History of Dark Matter" articulates how dark matter has indelibly shaped the cosmological landscape, prompting advancements in particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology. The synthesis of historical milestones with contemporary scientific inquiries suggests a persistent and evolving quest to demystify dark matter's true essence, encouraging the development of bespoke experimental strategies to detect and constrain dark matter candidates.

The paper posits that emerging astronomical data and technologically advanced simulations hold promise for unveiling the precise nature of dark matter, potentially leading to revolutionary discoveries that could pivotally influence both theoretical paradigms and practical pursuits in several scientific domains.