Do We Need Something Beyond Cold Dark Matter?

我们还需要冷暗物质之外的东西吗？

• 批准号: 2306340
• 负责人: Alyson Brooks
• 金额: $ 45.04万
• 依托单位: Rutgers University New Brunswick
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-09-01 至 2026-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2306340&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Do; Need; Something; Beyond; Cold

The gravitational force holding galaxies together tells us that there is more mass inside galaxies than we can see — an unknown component we call “dark matter.” There is roughly six times as much dark matter as normal matter in the universe. The most recent Report of the Particle Physics Project Prioritization Panel (P5) listed the identification of dark matter as one of the key drivers of projects in this decade. So far, the only clue to the nature of dark matter has come from astronomical observations. There is good evidence that dark matter must be a particle, much like protons. In fact, there could be multiple “dark” particles (like there are protons, neutrons, electrons, etc). If that is the case, those dark particles may interact with each other, much like light interacts with atoms. These interactions could leave an observable imprint on galaxies. To date, a model with dark matter interactions is consistent with all astronomical observations. In this project, scientists at Rutgers University will undertake the largest-ever investigation into how interacting dark matter affects galaxies. The team will use a large set of galaxy simulations to study multiple, independent observables that could reveal whether dark matter has interactions or not. This project will take a major step forward in understanding the properties of dark matter. This work also establishes a program to support and mentor first-year college students (many of whom are likely to be from groups historically underrepresented in STEM) as they transition to being undergraduates. The program will (1) develop a mentoring relationship between students and members of the Rutgers Physics & Astronomy department, (2) utilize cohort building activities to develop the students into a peer support network for each other, (3) introduce the students to basic research tools and get them involved in original research. These three goals have been shown to increase the retention of underrepresented students in science.The research team will use a suite of high resolution, state-of-the art simulations of galaxy formation within both a Cold Dark Matter (CDM) and self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) paradigm. The initial conditions for every galaxy run in CDM will be used to run the same galaxy within SIDM, for a direct comparison of the effect of the dark matter model. The plan is to (1) examine whether CDM or SIDM can reproduce the diverse range of rotation curves observed in real galaxies; (2) directly compare the observed shapes of galaxies with those predicted in CDM vs SIDM; (3) test the resulting central densities, sizes, and stellar stripping of satellites in SIDM relative to CDM; (4) explore supermassive black hole (SMBH) growth and merging in CDM vs SIDM. A strategic advantage of the proposed work is that each test is independent and orthogonal. At the end of the project, our understanding of the observational impact of SIDM will be substantially improved, and direct tests against observational probes will identify whether CDM or SIDM is a viable model.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

将星系聚集在一起的引力告诉我们，星系内部的质量比我们所能看到的要多——我们称之为“暗物质”的未知成分。最新报告中暗物质的数量大约是正常物质的六倍。粒子物理项目优先小组（P5）的将暗物质的识别列为本十年项目的关键驱动因素之一，到目前为止，有关暗物质性质的唯一线索来自天文观测。那个黑暗物质一定是一个粒子，就像质子一样。事实上，可能有多个“暗”粒子（比如质子、中子、电子等），如果是这样的话，这些暗粒子可能会相互作用。迄今为止，暗物质相互作用的模型与所有天文学观测结果都是一致的，罗格斯大学的科学家将对此进行有史以来最大规模的研究。该团队将使用大量的星系模拟来研究多个独立的可观测物体，以揭示暗物质是否具有相互作用。该项目将在了解暗物质的特性方面迈出重要一步。这项工作还建立了一个项目，以支持和指导一年级大学生（其中许多人可能来自历史上在 STEM 领域代表性不足的群体），该项目将 (1) 在学生和学生之间建立指导关系。的成员罗格斯大学物理与天文学系，（2）利用队列建设活动将学生发展为彼此的同伴支持网络，（3）向学生介绍基础研究工具并让他们参与原创研究这三个目标已被证明。研究团队将在冷暗物质（CDM）和自相互作用暗物质（SIDM）范式中使用一套高分辨率、最先进的星系形成模拟.每个星系的初始条件在CDM中运行将用于在SIDM中运行相同的星系，以直接比较暗物质模型的效果。计划是（1）CDM或SIDM是否可以重现在真实星系中观察到的不同范围的旋转曲线。 ; (2) 直接将观测到的星系形状与 CDM 与 SIDM 中预测的星系形状进行比较； (3) 测试 SIDM 相对于 CDM 中所得的卫星中心密度、大小和恒星剥离； CDM 与 SIDM 中的超大质量黑洞 (SMBH) 增长和合并所提议的工作的一个战略优势是，每个测试都是独立且正交的。在项目结束时，我们对 SIDM 观测影响的理解将得到显着提高。针对观测探针的直接测试将确定 CDM 或 SIDM 是否是可行的模型。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查进行评估，被认为值得支持标准。