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Intergalactic Missing Mass Missing Again
Ponca City, We Love You writes "Researchers at the University Of Alabama In Huntsville have discovered that some x-rays thought to come from intergalactic clouds of 'warm' gas are instead probably caused by lightweight electrons — leaving the mass of the universe as much as ten to 20 percent lighter (in terms of its ordinary matter) than previously calculated. In 2002 the same team reported finding large amounts of extra 'soft' (relatively low-energy) x-rays coming from the vast spaces in the middle of galaxy clusters. Their cumulative mass was thought to account for as much as ten percent of the mass and gravity needed to hold together galaxies, galaxy clusters, and perhaps the universe itself. When the team looked at data from a galaxy cluster in the southern sky, however, they found that energy from those additional soft x-rays doesn't look like it should. 'The best, most logical explanation seems to be that a large fraction of the energy comes from electrons smashing into photons instead of from warm atoms and ions, which would have recognizable spectral emission lines,' said Dr. Max Bonamente. The work was published Oct. 20 in the Astrophysical Journal."
Do you really expect language like that to cause somebody to re-evaluate some of the most well-verified physical laws ever postulated?
Ah, an Einstein and Big Bang fanatic, I see. I can spot one a mile away.
Whoops. I seem to have given a knee-jerk response to a troll.
It's better to be a troll than an ass kisser any day. Orders of magnitude better. ahahaha...
Whether gravity falls off at a slightly slower rate or there is a large volume of unknown matter in the universe the end result will be the same, so why do people so quickly call others idiots when they suggest an alternate explanation?
That's because the end result will not be the same as you assume. If gravity does not diminish exactly at 1/r^2 over large distances as GR and Newtonian physics assume, it would throw a monkey wrench into everything. It would bring a lot of other issues into question such as the Big Bang theory and the accelerated expansion of the universe. Heck, even our calculations of distances may be off. There is too much at stake and a lot of people have invested a lot into the status quo and will fight teeth and nails against almost any change. Accusing others of being crackpots in order to discredit them is a very good tactic because it has worked in the past. Scientists are not saints, the last I checked.