Researchers have created digital copies of our galaxy, the Milky Way, to better understand a great mystery of the universe: dark matter. These virtual twins are the result of the Cozmic project, led by Vera Gluscevic and her team at theUniversity of California You sud (USC).
The goal: to observe how dark matter influences the formation and evolution of galaxies. For this, the researchers used powerful computers to simulate different scenarios, with different physics laws. For example, in certain versions, the matter black enter into collision With ordinary particles such as protons. In others, she traverse Matter without interacting, or it only interacts with itself.
CRIDDIT: The Astrophysical Journal (2025). DOI: 10.3847 / 1538-4357 / ADCEF
Thanks to these models, scientists can now compare simulated galaxies with real, observed by telescopes. This allows them to test different ideas on the nature of dark matter.
The dark matter makes up approximately 85 % of the material in the universe. We cannot see it, because it does not emit light. But we know that it exists thanks to its effects: it acts as a colle Invisible that keeps the galaxies in place despite their rapid rotation.
Scientists think that it is made up of very different particles from those we know. Some theories suggest that they are very heavy, others that they are almost without mass.
Researchers use simulations to replay, on computer, the evolution of the universe. This allows them to test their theories by changing physical rules. For example: what happens if dark matter interacts with normal matter? Or if it doesn’t?
These virtual experiences are made possible by supercomputers capable of processing billions of data. They make it possible to explore phenomena impossible to observe directly.
Thanks to this work, the team soon hopes to confront its results with the real observations of the sky. The objective: to better understand the role played by dark matter in the birth and organization of galaxies.
