Missing Dark Matter In Distant Galaxy

Astronomers at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have uncovered new insights into the strange absence of dark matter in the distant galaxy NGC 1052-DF2, an ultra-diffuse galaxy.

About the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA)

IIA is a premier research institution under India’s Department of Science and Technology, known for its contributions in solar physics, stellar astronomy, and galaxy formation.
The institute leads cutting-edge studies in astrophysics and collaborates internationally on large-scale space and ground-based observatories.

About Galaxy NGC 1052-DF2

NGC 1052-DF2 is known for its large size but extremely low surface brightness due to the sparse presence of stars.
Despite its large radius, the galaxy has a total dynamical mass of under 340 million solar masses, nearly matching its estimated stellar mass of 200 million solar masses.
- A solar mass refers to the standard unit used to measure the mass of stars, equivalent to the mass of the Sun.
The galaxy shows a striking deficiency of dark matter, with most of its mass consisting of visible stars unlike typical galaxies such as the Milky Way.

Significance of the Discovery

Challenging Dark Matter Paradigms: The findings challenge the widely accepted belief that dark matter is essential for galaxy formation and structure in the universe.
- NGC 1052-DF2 raises key questions about whether some galaxies can form and evolve with little to no dark matter content.
Insights into Galaxy Formation: This study provides valuable insights into the diversity of galaxy formation, suggesting that alternative models may be needed to explain such outliers.

What is Dark Matter?

Definition: Dark matter is a mysterious, invisible substance that does not emit, absorb, or reflect light, making it undetectable by conventional electromagnetic observations.
Presence in Universe and Galaxies: It constitutes about 27% of the universe’s mass-energy content and plays a crucial role in holding galaxies together through its gravitational influence, despite being invisible.
Research on Dark Matter: Scientists study dark matter through indirect observations, like gravitational lensing and galaxy rotation curves.
- Experiments such as those at CERN and underground detectors like Xenon1T aim to directly detect or produce dark matter particles, though conclusive evidence remains elusive.

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