Dark matter and neutrinos may interact, challenging standard model of the universe
Recent research indicates potential interactions between dark matter and neutrinos, which could resolve discrepancies in cosmological observations and challenge aspects of the standard Lambda-CDM model.
University of Sheffield scientists published evidence in Nature Astronomy suggesting a slight momentum exchange between dark matter—making up about 85% of the universe’s matter—and nearly massless neutrinos. This interaction may explain why the modern universe appears less “clumpy” (with fewer dense galaxy structures) than predictions from early-universe data like the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). The Lambda-CDM model assumes these components do not interact, so this hints at an incomplete picture rather than outright invalidation.
The proposed interaction addresses the “Hubble tension,” a mismatch between expansion rate measurements from CMB and other probes like supernovae. By altering early-universe structure formation, it offers a unified explanation without new particles. Confirmation would guide particle physics experiments toward specific dark matter properties.
Upcoming CMB experiments, telescopes, and weak lensing surveys will provide precise data to verify or refute this theory. These methods map mass distributions via light distortions from distant galaxies. Earlier studies on arXiv explored similar interactions’ effects on structure formation, ruling out certain parameter ranges.
