[Physltest] [Phys-L] Dark matter & dark energy

[Daniel Crowe <dcrowe@SOTC.ORG>]

> From my limited understanding of dark matter and dark energy, it seems
that new physics is needed to explain them.  The development of this new
physics might have an impact on physics similar to the impact of the
development of quantum mechanics and relativity during the early twentieth
century.

According to Freedman and Turner, only 4% of the mass-energy density of
the universe is due to baryonic matter, 23% is due to dark matter, and 73%
is due to dark energy.  They state that some of the dark matter (0.1% to
5% of the total density of the universe) must be due to neutrinos.

Can anyone shed any light on the current status of the theories of dark
matter and dark energy, and whether new physics is necessary to explain
them?  Also, does baryonic matter include mesons and charged leptons, or
are their contributions negligible anyway?

Daniel Crowe
Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics
Ardmore Regional Center
dcrowe@sotc.org

Reference:

Freedman, Wendy L. & Michael S. Turner (October 2003) "Cosmology in the
New Millenium" Sky & Telescope 106(4)30-41.
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