Dark Energy and Dark Matter

The topic for today is about dark energy and dark matter. Well, if you're not familiar with outer space, then probably you never heard either terms, but even for those who know these terms, can't actually define it. Well, it's because of the complexity that came from the nature of the terms that make it difficult to define. Here, i'll try to explain my very best to you about what is dark energy and what is dark matter.

Dark Energy


According to wikipedia, dark energy is a hypothetical energy that permeates all of space and is the possible causes of universe expansion. Well, the term hypothetical means that no scientists have ever see the actual dark energy. They only look at the trails and signature of the cosmos before they conclude the possibility of other form of energy that exists in outer space. Kind of like black hole. You can't actually see black hole but the effect that it gives to surrounding body stars can't be neglected. 

The NASA Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe(WMAP) revealed a fact that all atoms in this universe only make up about 4.6 percent of the universe. The rest is believe to be divided into 23.3% dark matter and 72.1% of dark energy. Well, since the amount is so large, no wonder scientists try to understand them. Below is the chart showing the percentage of things that we have in our universe. 


Well, there are few theories that explain the existence of dark matter. Some people say that it is the property of empty space itself, while some chose to believe that it is a new kind of dynamic energy fluid, which gives opposite effects from normal energy and matter. The theorists called this quintessence. The last theory is that Einstein's theory of gravity is not correct. For me, i opt the third theory, but not to say that his theory is not correct, just imperfect. Probably someone will check Einstein's math and approach new method in providing new gravity theory.

Dark Matter


First of all, we know what dark matter is not more than we know what dark matter is it. First, it is as the term puts it, dark. Which by all mean says that it can't be seen. Well, at least not by using current technology. Dark matter is also not the dark clouds formed by normal matter, because these dark clouds are made up of matter particles called baryons. It is not dark matter because we can detect baryonic activities using radiation absorption that passes through them. Lastly, dark matter is not anti-matter because, as i explain to you last time, anti-matter will annihilate matter to release the gamma ray and so far, the dark matter does not has this property.



However, the possibility of the existence of dark matter can be explain using these two things, first is Massive Compact Halo Objects (MACHOs) and second one is Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs). MACHOs is good in explaining dark matter in terms of isolated neutron stars which is very massive and very dark. MACHOs is said to emit gravitational pull and no light and is said to be viable candidate to test the existence of dark matter. The WIMPs on the other hand allows the possibility of large mass subatomic particles created in the right amount and the right properties to exist as dark matter after the big bang. Both theories has their own pros and cons. You can read the pros and cons here.

I think by now you understand the difference between dark energy and dark matter. Well, for one hand, the term itself gives you the different. First one is energy second one is matter. So there goes your obvious difference between these two terms. Anyway, if you can't understand any of this, just tell me and i'll try my best to explain it to you. For that, thanks for reading this!

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