Home
Science
Science News
Scientists Reconsider Dark Matter Theory Amid Growing Cosmological Mysteries

Scientists Reconsider Dark Matter Theory Amid Growing Cosmological Mysteries

Scientists propose a self-interacting Dark Matter model in which particles collide and form dense cores.

Written by Gadgets 360 Staff, Edited by Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 7 May 2026 20:00 IST

Scientists Reconsider Dark Matter Theory Amid Growing Cosmological Mysteries

Click Here to Add Gadgets360 As A Trusted Source

Highlights

Self-interacting dark matter may solve major cosmic mysteries
Dense dark matter cores form through gravothermal collapse now
Theory explains lensing, stellar streams, and dwarf galaxie

For many years, scientists were aware that an invisible force was holding the universe together, which turned out to be dark matter, comprising about 85% of matter in the universe, observable only through its gravitational effects. In a model that persisted for decades, dark matter was described as cold and solitary; the particles do not interact with each other but only drift past each other. However, there are three cosmological problems that are forcing scientists to look at things differently.

When Dark Matter Talks to Itself

However, a newly published article in Physical Review Letters suggests a different recipe: self-interacting dark matter (SIDM). SIDM allows the collision of dark matter particles to collide with each other, allowing gravothermal collapse, which makes them form dense cores – something that could not be done using the conventional cold model. Gravothermal collapse refers to the phenomenon wherein energy diffuses away from the halo, leading to the heating up and increasing density of the inner core.

Three Puzzles, One Elegant Fix

The SIDM clumps display a total mass which equals around one million solar masses. The unusual gravitational effects which researchers observe in three astrophysical systems through their study of gravitational lenses, stellar streams, and satellite galaxies can be explained through these dense SIDM clumps. The gravitationally lensed system JVAS B1938+666, together with the mysterious 'scar' which cut through the GD-1 stellar stream and the Fornax 6 star cluster from a dwarf galaxy, all demonstrate the same self-interacting particle behaviour. The same mechanism which operates through multiple cosmic scales demonstrates that SIDM exists as more than a theoretical concept because it represents the universe's most hidden secret.

Comments

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.