I am no physicist.
The Universe as a Gas Can – Part II: Dark Matter
In QM, gravity is considered a force, the graviton being the force carrier. In GR, gravity is represented as a geometric curvature of spacetime created by mass.
When we have (spacetime) expansion and we have (spacetime) curvature, it is hard not to imagine waves. With the exception of matter, everything else in the universe seems comprised of waves.
Gravity waves were predicted by Einstein and recently observed emanating from neutron stars.
“Gravitational waves are ripples in the curvature of spacetime that are generated in certain gravitational interactions and propagate as waves outward from their source at the speed of light.
In Einstein's theory of general relativity, gravity is treated as a phenomenon resulting from the curvature of spacetime. This curvature is caused by the presence of mass. Generally, the more mass that is contained within a given volume of space, the greater the curvature of spacetime will be at the boundary of its volume. As objects with mass move around in spacetime, the curvature changes to reflect the changed locations of those objects. In certain circumstances, accelerating objects generate changes in this curvature, which propagate outwards at the speed of light in a wave-like manner. These propagating phenomena are known as gravitational waves.” [
quote ]
Higgs, Temperature & Curvature
The Higgs Mechanism speculates that mass arose with the cooling of the universe. When energy fell below a certain very high critical temperature it caused a symmetry breaking.
“The simplest description of the mechanism adds a quantum field (the Higgs field) that permeates all space, to the Standard Model. Below some extremely high temperature, the field causes spontaneous symmetry breaking [between the electroweak interactions (electromagnetism and weak interaction- which at high temperature appear symmetrical in all respects)].
The breaking of symmetry triggers the Higgs mechanism, causing the bosons it interacts with to have mass.” [
quote1 ] (In Supersymmetry, which attempts to unite QM with GR the bosons are force carriers with no mass, fermions are the constituents of matter because they have mass)
The first important thing to note here is that the Higgs Mechanism talks in terms of fields – the Higgs field which is added to the Standard Model (of fundamental forces) to explain the formation of mass. It also talks of temperature invoking the creation of mass (claiming a symmetry break of electroweak forces). I want to look at temperature as it relates to curvature of space.
If the Universe continues to expand, science predicts a heat death (where there is no difference in temperature across space). The heat death has been described as occurring due to entropy. “When all the energy the in the cosmos is uniformly spread out, there is no more heat or free energy to fuel processes that consume energy, such as life.” [
quote2 ]
The equal distribution of energy in the universe would correspond to one with no curvature (no region denser than another).
“If the topology of the universe is open or flat, or if dark energy is a positive cosmological constant (both of which are supported by current data), the universe will continue expanding forever and a heat death is expected to occur, with the universe cooling to approach equilibrium at a very low temperature after a very long time period.” [
quote3 ]
Thus, curvature and temperature can be related in this sense. A flattening of space equates with a reduction in temperature because of the even distribution of energy across it. The Higgs Mechanism suggests that a decrease in temperature (the spacing of energy) caused matter to materialise via this mechanism. We might thus re-write this assumption as: a change in the curvature of spacetime caused matter to materialise via this mechanism.
An inward curvature of space represents gravity. Thus, we could say that gravity caused matter to materialise… via this mechanism. Note, this is suggesting gravity is the cause of matter, not that matter is the cause of gravity. It is a distinction I wish to stress (and my assertion).
Gravity Waves and The Big Bang
“In Einstein's theory of general relativity, gravity is treated as a phenomenon resulting from the curvature of spacetime. This curvature is caused by the presence of mass.” [
quote4 ]
I believe there is a problem with looking at gravity in terms of mass. The problem is it becomes very pointilised. A sun has a gravity of X-value, and sits in its well, bending space around it enough to trap the orbits of the planets which all sit in their own gravity wells trapping their moons etc. Each one of the positions is a point in space from which gravity emanates.
I find the idea of such pointilised gravity counter-intuitive at large scales – we don’t see points. We see corridors or troughs of gravity. Higgs suggested a change in a field to create matter.
Changes in field states are expressed as waves.
I suggest that gravity propagated as a wave at the time of the Big Bang, much like it did in the recorded observations of the neutron stars. As it’s wavelength redshifted, the temperature dropped causing mass/matter to precipitate through some (the Higgs) mechanism. It was no ordinary wave though. I suggest it was a ‘Prime Wave’, meaning that it came momentarily before the others.
Gravity is unique among the forces, for while it does not respond to the influence from the other forces, it does exert an effect upon them, much like a master-slave relation. “Gravitational waves can penetrate regions of space that electromagnetic waves cannot.” [
quote5 ]
“The fundamental reason that gravitons have proved harder to model than other bosons such as photons, is that other types of bosons do not interact with other bosons of their own type. For example, photons do not interact with photons. Photons carry the electromagnetic force, but are not charged themselves and do not interact via this force. Photons have (relativistic) mass and interact with gravity, but not with their own forces. Like photons, gravitons also carry (relativistic) mass, but unlike photons and gluons, they carry the gravitational force which interacts with this mass. As well as gravitons having to thus interact with other gravitons, quantum mechanics means they must also interact with themselves via virtual particles.” [
quote6 ]
It's prime position among other particles and forces, and the way it curves spacetime, suggests that the emanating gravitational wave from the time of the Big Bang might be the underlying fabric of spacetime itself.
“In some descriptions energy modifies the "shape" of spacetime itself, and gravity is a result of this shape, an idea which at first glance may appear hard to match with the idea of a force acting between particles.” [
quote7 ]
The universe we see is not dominated by outwardly expanding rings of gravity, but rather cut up into interference patterns (clusters of matter in long thin threads). For this reason, the idea of gravity troughs or gravity corridors carries a greater visual power than gravity waves – although the one necessarily implies the other. (I will attempt to explain this clumpiness shortly).
Dark Matter
“Dark matter is a hypothetical type of matter distinct from baryonic matter (ordinary matter such as protons and neutrons), neutrinos and dark energy.
Dark matter has never been directly observed; however, its existence would explain a number of otherwise puzzling astronomical observations. The name refers to the fact that it does not emit or interact with observable electromagnetic radiation, such as light, and is thus invisible to the entire electromagnetic spectrum.” [
quote8 ]
At this point I would like to redirect your attention to the earlier quote: “Gravitational waves can penetrate regions of space that electromagnetic waves cannot.” [
quote9 ]
“Although dark matter has not been directly observed, its existence and properties are inferred from its gravitational effects such as the motions of baryonic matter, gravitational lensing, its influence on the universe's large-scale structure, on the formation of galaxies, and its effects on the cosmic microwave background.
The standard model of cosmology indicates that the total mass–energy of the universe contains 4.9% ordinary matter, 26.8% dark matter and 68.3% dark energy. Thus, dark matter constitutes 84.5% of total mass, while dark energy plus dark matter constitute 95.1% of total mass–energy content.” [
quote10 ]
I define gravity corridors as long sunken regions of space where the collective gravities are exerting a collective pull on the fabric of space. I further suggest that this collective pull on the fabric of space is causing a sinking of space beyond the numerical sum of each individual gravity (an extended caving in around gravity clusters)- such an effect could be a candidate for Dark Matter. It is an important note here while I am insisting there can be no matter without gravity, I am also asserting the existence of gravity without matter. We could liken the formation of matter from gravity as similar in nature to a thermocline, where matter precipitates out beyond a certain gravity value/curvature. That value was attained at the time of the Big Bang.
The idea that gravity should be thought of in terms of permanent corridors (more than just being a ripple effect of a disturbance or a matter-point phenomenon) is further strengthened by the examination of superclusters.
“The entire universe can be seen as an intricate network of galaxies called the Cosmic Web. Some areas are almost empty, dark voids. Others are densely packed regions of galaxies known as superclusters. Superclusters are the biggest structures found in the universe. But scientists have struggled to map where one ends and the other begins.” “Cosmic flows are the paths galaxies migrate along.” “Most galaxies are being pulled toward a dense centre, known as The Great Attractor” (paraphrased) [
Link ] I highly recommend you watch the 4 min video in this link.
Once created, matter became ‘locked’ in its energy configuration, to mostly dwell in the bottom of the gravity corridors in which it was formed. The settling of matter in these descending corridors has created the appearance of “Clustering or Clumpiness” of matter in the universe.
As was established at the start of the first OP, matter has sequestered energy that is no longer freely available for the universe to use in its energy fields. It is perhaps useful to think of matter, with its gravity that will only yield to entropy, as a stabilising force, giving a certain rigidity and integrity/permanence or inertia to gravitational wave corridors.
In addition to acting as a stabilising force, this locking of energy gives a property to matter discreet from gravity. It is the ability to move translationally through spacetime given enough momentum to do so- taking its gravity with it. Collisions amongst particles, gravity slingshots, or descending gravity corridors, might have provided such momentum.
This interaction of matter with itself has created the interference patterns in the otherwise symmetrical ripples of space time. It is these interference patterns and gravity corridors we can see when we look at the Cosmic Web and superclusters.
Thus gravity is a wave phenomenon which gave (gives?) rise to matter. Matter thereafter has it's own intrinsic gravity. Gravity though persists without the need for matter, although matter will settle into it's deepest parts. It is this recognition of gravity not dependent on matter which could account for Dark Matter - an unseen gravitational force of massive magnitude.