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Radical new theory illuminates 'dark matter'

February 09, 2005

AllanErnest.thumb.jpgA physicist at the University of New England has an answer to the most perplexing problem in modern astronomy: Why is most of the matter in the universe invisible?
Dr Allan Ernest's answer to the "dark matter" enigma has so impressed the scientific world that he was asked to contribute a chapter on his theory to an authoritative book, Progress in Dark Matter Research, to be published in the United States in April this year.
While the search for ever-more-exotic particles constituting the "dark matter" has consumed billions of dollars in Europe and America with no definite result, Dr Ernest's theory invokes no new particles or new laws of physics. It involves, instead, a daring application of quantum theory, normally used to describe the movement of subatomic particles, to the universal force of gravity on an astronomical scale.

Scientists agree that the existence of "dark matter" is necessary to explain precisely-observed gravitational effects on the movement of stars and galaxies, and the "bending" of light. They have calculated that about 90 per cent of matter in the universe is invisible (i.e., unable to emit or reflect light because its interaction with visible matter and radiation is so weak), prompting the search for unknown particles and forces that could produce this effect.
"In my solution to the problem, particles already known to science can form very pure stationary gravitational states around a black hole," Dr Ernest explained. "You can describe these states in an analogous way to those states controlling electron behaviour within atoms." According to my theory the black holes would have formed first; then the gravitational states around the newly-formed black hole are quickly populated in the dense conditions of the early universe, forming a massive dark halo. These dark halos are the 'seeds' for accumulations of visible matter that eventually form the galaxies."
"There isn't anything in quantum theory that forbids such gravitational quantum states," he continued, "and in fact many recent experiments have demonstrated macroscopic (large-scale) quantum phenomena. Although there's no acceptable theory of quantum gravity, the application of the mathematics of quantum theory in weak gravity seems to predict all of the features we know about dark matter. In fact, what's kept me going with this pretty radical idea is the way the numbers just fall into place."
Dr Ernest's theory is supported by observations suggesting that all regular galaxies harbour supermassive black holes at their centre. "The sizes and shapes of observed dark halos tend to be consistent with the theory," he added, "and the theory has the potential to predict the largely flat galactic rotation curves observed by astronomers." He believes the results of his mathematical modelling are good enough to justify further experimental study of gravitational quantum states here on Earth, and a reworking of the models of galactic evolution using the gravitational quantum state hypothesis.
Progress in Dark Matter Research, edited by J. Val Blain, is being published by NOVA, New York. Dr Ernest's chapter is titled "A Quantum Approach to Dark
Matter".

Posted by Lydia Roberts at February 9, 2005 12:01 PM