The Unfulfilled Role of Dark Matter: A Hypothetical Scenario

The existence of dark matter is a major unresolved question in astrophysics. Dark matter is proposed to be the scaffolding that holds galaxies together, and its absence could lead to catastrophic consequences in the cosmos. This article explores what would happen if dark matter could somehow go missing, and what can be inferred about the future of dark matter research.

Dark Matter's Role in Galaxy and Star Formation

Dark matter is a crucial component in the formation of galaxies. The gravitational pull of dark matter is believed to be responsible for the collapse and coalescence of normal matter into galaxies. Without it, the enormous gravitational forces required for galaxy formation would not be possible.

Stars also rely on dark matter for their formation. Dark matter helps regulate the collapse of gas and dust, leading to the creation of stars. If dark matter were to disappear, the process of star formation would be severely disrupted, leading to the eventual dissolution of galaxies as their stars would be unable to stay bound together.

The Impact on Galaxies and the Universe

Assuming dark matter exists, if its effects were to be removed, the resultant scenario would be dire. Galaxies would be extremely small, barely larger than the bulge of stars held together by their mutual gravity. The spiral arms that define galaxies would be empty, as the stars within them would have long since been thrown out of the galaxy.

The universe as we know it would be vastly different. The void would be filled with stars moving in every direction, and only occasionally would one find a small concentration of stars around a supermassive black hole. Our ability to observe the cosmos would be severely limited due to the uniform obscuration of stars, gas, and dust.

The observable universe would be confined to a much smaller region, estimated to be just 100 million light-years in diameter, and we would have no evidence of the Big Bang or the vast structures we observe in the universe.

The Hypothetical Scenario: Removal of Dark Matter

Despite the vital role of dark matter, its existence has never been proven conclusively. It remains a hypothesis based on the observed effects it has on the universe. The impact of the hypothetical removal of dark matter leads to a universe we can barely conceive of, without the structures, galaxies, and the complexity of the cosmic web we observe today.

Dark matter's hypothetical absence also underscores the importance of continued research in this field. While we have yet to identify what constitutes dark matter, its effects have been observed through phenomena such as the rotation speed of galaxies. Vera Rubin's observations in the 1970s, where the outer edges of galaxies rotate at speeds that cannot be explained by visible matter alone, provide strong evidence for the existence of dark matter.

The Future of Dark Matter

Regardless of whether dark matter is ever discovered, the pursuit of its existence and nature remains a vital part of cosmology. The future of dark matter is marked by ongoing research and the hope of answering some of the most fundamental questions in astrophysics.

For instance, it is conceivable to discuss the hypothetical absence of the spherical nature of our planet and the persistence of that spherical form, just as dark matter's hypothetical absence suggests a universe without the structures and complexity that we observe. In the pursuit of the answer to these questions, new discoveries are made, not just in the resolution of the hypothesis, but in the process of research itself.