A Direct Empirical Proof of the Existence of Dark Matter
Open accessAbstract
We present new weak-lensing observations of 1E 0657-558 ( z = 0.296), a unique cluster merger, that enable a direct detection of dark matter, independent of assumptions regarding the nature of the gravitational force law. Due to the collision of two clusters, the dissipationless stellar component and the fluid-like X-ray-emitting plasma are spatially segregated. By using both wide-field ground-based images and HST /ACS images of the cluster cores, we create gravitational lensing maps showing that the gravitational potential does not trace the plasma distribution, the dominant baryonic mass component, but rather approximately traces the distribution of galaxies. An 8 σ significance spatial offset of the center of the total mass from the center of the baryonic mass peaks cannot be explained with an alteration of the gravitational force law and thus proves that the majority of the matter in the system is unseen.
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All the cited lensing analyses of the Bullet Cluster are in good agreement, and none show a displacement between mass and galaxy light in either substructure.
“We stress that regardless of the specific reconstruction technique, all the above-cited analyses are in good agreement, and none show a displacement between mass and galaxy light in either substructure.”
From The Mismeasure of Mergers: Revised Limits on Self-interacting Dark Matter in Merging Galaxy Clusters (2018) · cites this paper as Clowe et al. (2006)
The Analysis section reports that both lensing-mass peaks lie within 1σ of their respective galaxy-light centroids, supporting the absence of a significant mass–galaxy-light displacement in either component. It also reports offsets of about 2σ from the brightest cluster galaxies. The paper does not establish that all the other cited lensing analyses agree across reconstruction techniques. (LLM, conf=0.85)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredFor the Bullet Cluster east, the Harvey et al. position is not credible given the agreement among cited sources, their strong exclusion of the H15 position, and their advantages in data quality.
“Given the agreement among the above-cited sources, their strong exclusion of the H15 position (for example, the H15 position is well outside the 99.7% confidence interval of Clowe et al. 2006), and their advantages in data quality (such as multiple bands for source selection), we argue that the H15 position is not credible.”
From The Mismeasure of Mergers: Revised Limits on Self-interacting Dark Matter in Merging Galaxy Clusters (2018) · cites this paper as Clowe et al. (2006)
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Cites
A modification of the Newtonian dynamics as a possible alternative to the hidden mass hypothesis
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Research works printed but not linked: 1
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Cold dark matter: Controversies on small scales
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The Mismeasure of Mergers: Revised Limits on Self-interacting Dark Matter in Merging Galaxy Clusters
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ASSESSING ASTROPHYSICAL UNCERTAINTIES IN DIRECT DETECTION WITH GALAXY SIMULATIONS
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- Authors
- Clowe, D., Bradač, M., Gonzalez, A. H., Markevitch, M., Randall, S. W., Jones, C., & Zaritsky, D.
- Affiliations
- University of Arizona (US)
- Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (US)
- University of Florida (US)
- Russian Academy of Sciences (RU)
- Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian (US)
- ORCID
- Venue
- The Astrophysical Journal
- Publisher
- American Astronomical Society
- Published
- 2006-08-30
- Volume
- 648
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- L109-L113
- ISSN
- 0004-637X (ISSN-L)
- 1538-4357
- OpenAlex
- W2111396801
- Cited by
- 2,470
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 178 · 2025: 217 · 2024: 166 · 2023: 153 · 2022: 127 · 2021: 129 · 2020: 126 · 2019: 120 · 2018: 123 · 2017: 121 · 2016: 124 · 2015: 114 · 2014: 96 · 2013: 102 · 2012: 116
- FWCI
- 48.15
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- The Astrophysical Journal (publishedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
- OSTI OAI (U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information) (submittedVersion)
- University of North Texas Digital Library (University of North Texas) (submittedVersion)
- CERN Document Server (European Organization for Nuclear Research) (submittedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (0206286, NAS 5-26555)
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NAS 526555, 526555)
- Space Telescope Science Institute (NAS5- 26555, 5-26555, 26555)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Cosmology and Gravitation Theories
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Nuclear and High Energy Physics › Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena
- Keywords
- dark matter, weak gravitational lensing, cluster mergers, intracluster medium, baryonic mass, gravitational potential, modified gravity, galaxy clusters
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