UNIT Q and R

SECTION 22.1 UNSEEN INFLUENCES IN THE COSMOS

Dark matter: matter we know exists because of its gravitational effects, but gives off no
light so we cannot see it
Dark energy: an unknown energy force that can overcome large scale gravity, which is
causing the expansion of the universe to accelerate
SECTION 22.2 EVIDENCE FOR DARK MATTER
Rotation curve: shows rotational velocity of stars or clouds against their distance from the
center of the galaxy
o Used to show that most mass is concentrated in the center of the Milky Way
because curve flattens out in graph b/c all the stars in the disk are orbiting at the
same rate
Mass of the Milky Way could be 10x all the visible stars and gas
o Rotation curves of other spiral galaxies are similar to ours
o Elliptical galaxies also show evidence that there is much more mass than can be
seen
Evidence of Dark Matter in Galaxy Clusters
Zwicky measured recession speed of galactic clusters (how fast universal expansion is
carrying them away from us)
o Then could find clusters mass with average orbital velocities of the individual
galaxies
o Saw galaxies have greater mass than their luminosities suggest
Intracluster medium contains a lot of X-rays, meaning its extremely hot, which also
means there is a lot of matter
o Shows the cluster should have as much as 50x the matter as that we can see
o Gravity of dark matter binds galaxies in a cluster together
Study gravitational lenses: objects that magnify or distort an image because of their
gravitational field
o In order to do this, galaxy clusters must have more mass than we can see
What Dark Matter is Made Of
Ordinary Dark Matter
o Can be regular materials, made of protons and neutrons, just too dim to see from
far distances
o MACHOs: massive compact halo objects, dim star or planet-like objects
Extraordinary Dark Matter
o WIMPS: theoretical weakly interacting massive particles, only interact by gravity
and weak force, dont produce EM radiation
Dont interact and give off energy, so they would remain in halo during
galaxy formation, exactly where they are predicted to be
SECTION 22.3 STRUCTURE FORMATION
Dark matter provided the gravitational attraction needed to form protogalactic clouds

o Also reversed the effects of universal expansion and made galaxies randomly
orbit each other
Large clusters are still drawing in new members
Superclusters: consist of many clusters of galaxies, could still be in process of formation,
we know they exist because clusters pull on each other
Large-Scale Structures: bigger even than galaxy clusters
Galaxies are arranged in huge chains and sheets many millions of light-years long
o Galaxy clusters are located at the intersections of the chains
Voids: empty regions b/w chains and sheets
There is a limit to the size of large-scale structures, so on extremely large scales, the
universe looks uniform
These structures probably started as high density regions
o Show original distribution of dark matter