Science & Technology (Commonwealth Union) – The roles of Fritz Zwicky in the 1930s and Vera Rubin in the 1970s were crucial in our current knowledge of dark matter.
A hidden fifth dimension could be naturally connected with the mysterious force that keeps galaxies bound together, according to a new theory from the University of Sheffield that seeks to unravel one of physics’ greatest mysteries: dark matter.
For decades, dark matter has fascinated both researchers and science fiction creators, inspiring fictional ideas ranging from galaxy-threatening phenomena in Star Trek to the mysterious ‘Dust’ that links different worlds in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy.
Despite its popularity in science and fiction, dark matter remains one of the biggest unanswered questions in modern physics. Researchers are aware of its existance due to the powerful gravitational influence it brings about, effectively serving as something that is not seen “cosmic glue” that keeps galaxies from falling apart. However, it has never been directly detected, leaving its true composition and origin unknown.
Researchers pointed out that the idea dark matter could not be seen in an extra, hidden dimension has been gaining much attention from researchers in recent years. Now researchers at the University of Sheffield have taken this idea a step further, by proposing a new theoretical model which could explain the strange behaviour of dark matter and why it has remained so elusive. The results, published in the journal Physical Review D, provide a new avenue in the search for this elusive substance.
The research suggests that dark matter may exist within a concealed additional dimension, together with a force-carrying particle called a dark photon. The theory proposes that the structure and geometry of this hidden dimension naturally arrange the masses of these particles into a specific pattern.
This precise relationship produces what scientists describe as a dark matter resonance — a process that can be compared to the way a musical instrument produces a much stronger vibration when it reaches its exact resonant frequency.
Dr Yu-Dai Tsai, a Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Senior Research Fellow at the University of Sheffield, indicated that dark matter resonance is already considered a significant concept that could transform scientists’ understanding of how dark matter formed in the early universe and how it can be detected today.
He further pointed out that although dark matter resonance has been recognised as a powerful idea, many earlier models have simply assumed that the resonance exists. Dr Tsai also indicated that the research offers a possible deeper explanation: the resonance could naturally emerge from the geometry of hidden extra dimensions themselves.
“This resonance can make dark matter interactions much stronger at crucial epochs in cosmic history, such as in the early Universe. Crucially, the model allows for these strong interactions in the past while still explaining why dark matter appears so inert and hard to detect today.”
Although resonant dark matter and theories involving extra dimensions have each been investigated separately before, earlier approaches often depended on carefully adjusting particle masses or “fine-tuning” them manually to produce the desired physical effects.
The Sheffield research suggests that this precise alignment does not happen by chance. Instead, it may emerge naturally from the mathematical properties and geometry of the hidden dimension itself.
Dr Tsai indicated that solving the mystery of dark matter would mark a major breakthrough in humanity’s understanding of the universe and the fundamental components that make up the cosmos.
“Our research gives physicists clear new targets in the search for dark matter, while connecting two of the biggest ideas in fundamental physics: the mystery of dark matter and the existence of hidden dimensions.”
Researchers of the study indicated that going further than deepening our knowledge of the universe, the pursuit of dark matter is also contributing to real-world technological progress. The highly sensitive detectors, advanced cooling systems, ultra-low-noise electronics and quantum sensing techniques created for dark matter research have the potential to drive innovations in fields such as healthcare, computing and worldwide communication networks.
