The universe encompasses everything known so far, but it's only the tip of the iceberg in a vast sea of mysteries . One of these mysteries is dark matter, and the related question is: Is it the most abundant element? The answer is yes.
In the last century, it became known that there exists a type of matter in the universe with completely mysterious physical properties. It's not at all comparable to any other type of energy or matter, but one thing is certain. Compared to other elements in the universe, dark matter is six to seven times more abundant. The reason? Several hypotheses are still being considered, but nothing concrete.
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An introduction to the topic. What is dark matter?
To understand what dark matter is, we must go back almost 100 years. Thanks to the work of Jan Oort and later Fritz Zwicky, we know that dark matter is a tangible reality.
Source: ivdes
According to their conclusions, dark matter is an abundant element in the universe incapable of capturing, absorbing or emitting light. It is present in all the gravitational processes of large space objects, contributing to the expansion of galaxies. Therefore, understanding what dark matter is is more important than is believed for sure.
In short. What are the characteristics of dark matter?
Starting with the most important premise, dark matter is an element found in large quantities in the universe. In fact, up to 85% of the observable universe is composed of dark matter.
In general terms, it is known by that name, because it is a type of matter that is not capable of capturing or emitting electromagnetic radiation. That is, it is an element whose composition does not emit any type of light or electrochemical signal.
Furthermore, it has been defined as “any element other than dark energy or ordinary matter.” In fact, even the scientific community has not reached a precise agreement about its composition. Some infer that it could be made up of neutrinos and other heavy elements; however, others are more cautious.
Even so, the theory of neutrinos in dark matter is quite plausible. The main reason is that neutrinos are microscopic particles with very little mass. Furthermore, they do not emit any detectable energy and have little interaction with other objects in the universe. Therefore, it would be reasonable to assume that they are part of the most abundant element in the universe.
On another note, it's common to wonder: how could an element that doesn't emit light have been discovered? A valid question. The answer lies in the fact that dark matter gravitationally influences the movement of galaxies and stars.
For this reason, its influence has been shown in the development of large galaxies, as well as in the orbital speed of stars. Indeed, although it is not possible to observe dark matter with an optical telescope, other efficient methods have now been applied.
The history of dark matter and how it revolutionized thinking in astrophysics
The discovery of dark matter dates back to the beginning of the century, specifically between 1930 and 1933. Those responsible were Jan Oort and Fritz Zwicky , Dutch and Swiss astrophysicists respectively.
Both, although they did not work together, laid the foundations for a correct understanding of the presence of dark matter. Although it is not an element that can be observed, thanks to them, it is known that it is there.
In fact, its influence is greater than it seems. It is capable of participating in the expansion of galaxies, as well as interacting with the gravity of other celestial objects. And, as if that weren't enough, it is present in every corner of the universe. Without a doubt, it is the most abundant element known to date.
Jan Oort and his precise vision towards the stars
From 1930, Jan Oort dedicated himself to observing and studying the orbital speed of stars. By that time, it was known that stars occupied a specific place in the universe according to their speed and mass.
However, Oort's question was the following: does the galaxy have enough mass to house all the stars? And the response surprised. Both the mass of stars and galaxies must be proportional for calculations to be accurate.
A mass deficit in the galaxy would cause stars to be ejected from their orbits into intergalactic space. In this sense, Oort postulated that the galaxy's mass was insufficient to prevent stars from moving in a volatile manner.
However, why did they retain their behavior then? Essentially, the conclusion lies in the fact that visible and known matter is not the only plausible element. Indeed, the universe is composed of a type of "invisible matter" that complements or "fills" the missing space in space.
The consolidation of the term thanks to Fritz Zwicky
Later, Fritz Zwicky continued with the premise of dark matter, but from a different perspective. He applied the same research premise as Oort, but directed it toward the Coma galaxy cluster.
In short, he set about estimating the orbital velocity between the galaxies in the cluster, as well as the mass between each one. Likewise, based on each one's ability to shine, he concluded that a piece of the puzzle was missing.
Source: ivdes
Basically, Zwicky determined that the orbital speed of galaxies did not match expectations. There wasn't enough matter to produce such a result, so there had to be something else out there.
By virtue of this, Zwicky also finished his studies, proclaiming the existence of a type of non-visible matter. Why? Because despite the lack of consistency in the data, the galaxies maintained the same behavior. An event that could only be explained by the presence of more matter than normal, but which is not visible.
