Simulation Predicts Clumps of Dark Matter Within Galaxies

A team of researchers has simulated the gravitational interaction of dark matter particles over the course of a hypothetical 13.7 billion years. They found that the particles tended to form clumps large enough to assist in the formation of galaxies. The results contradicted observations from previous, smaller studies, but they lent support to an unrelated simulation of how the Milky Way formed. UCSC's press release is also available. Quoting ScienceNews: "The clumps of dark matter in the simulation have densities that are remarkably similar to densities that a University of California, Irvine research group found when simulating the formation of the Milky Way and its satellite dwarf galaxies, says James Bullock, the astrophysicist who leads the UC-Irvine group and was not involved in the new study. 'This is a remarkable success of the particular model simulated and adds strong support to the idea that the dark matter is made up of particles that are "cold." There are a number of planned experiments aimed at detecting the dark matter that are betting on it being cold, so this is generally good news for the community,' Bullock says. And, [study co-author Piero Madau] notes, larger simulations that might help constrain the nature of dark matter even more are already in the works."

And in other simulations:

[Anonymous Coward]

Clumps of dark matter were predicted around Uranus.

Re:And in other simulations:

[REJOSU]

Well, its better than in my simulation where they found dark matter in Uranus.

Re:Matrioshka brains?

[Anonymous Coward]

Who's hiding? Improve your gravitometric scanner strengths, you incompetent baboons.

PS you can mod up an AC, I do most of the time.

Have we found them?

[i_liek_turtles]

I've always wanted a pet Nibblonian...