Nature of dark matter: particle versus modified gravity

Ascertain whether the astrophysical and cosmological phenomena attributed to dark matter are best explained by a new particle (or particles) or require a modification of Einstein’s General Relativity on galactic and cosmological scales.

Background

Alan Coley and Viraj Sangai outline the standard cosmological model’s reliance on dark matter and dark energy to explain observations. While dark matter is commonly modeled as a particle component, they emphasize that a definitive identification has not been made and that an alternative involving modified gravity remains possible.

This uncertainty has major implications for both particle physics and cosmology, affecting interpretations of galaxy rotation curves, structure formation, and other large-scale phenomena.