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Dark Matter’s Motion Matches Gravity, Study Caps Any Extra Force at 7%

Researchers validated the test by comparing galaxy speeds with the depths of gravitational wells shaped by massive structures.

Overview

  • The peer-reviewed Nature Communications paper, led by University of Geneva researchers, measures how galaxies move relative to cosmic gravitational potentials.
  • The findings show dark matter obeys Euler’s equations on cosmological scales, mirroring the behavior of ordinary matter.
  • The analysis constrains any additional long-range force on dark matter to less than about 7% of gravity’s strength.
  • The team compared galaxy redshift–based velocities with the depth of gravitational wells inferred from large-scale structure data.
  • Forthcoming observations from LSST and DESI are expected to probe down to roughly 2% of gravity, allowing tighter tests of ultra-weak interactions.