Dark matter exists, confirms study

Scientists say they have removed the recent doubts cast on the presence of the elusive dark matter within galaxies, disproving the empirical relations in support of alternative theories.

Dark matter is one of the greatest enigmas of astrophysics and cosmology, and is thought to account for 90 per cent of the matter in the universe.

However, its existence has been demonstrated only indirectly, and has recently been called into question.

The study, published in the Astrophysical Journal, offers new insights into understanding the nature of dark matter and its relationship with ordinary matter.

From the expansion of the universe to the movement of stars in the galaxies, there are many phenomena that cannot be explained by the presence of baryonic matter alone.

The attractive force generated by matter is insufficient to explain observable gravitational effects.

This had led to the theory of the existence of undetectable dark matter, and the idea that galaxies are embedded in its spherical