Physicists in China have introduced a theory suggesting dark matter consists of at least two particle types that separate over time. The model aims to explain observations in dwarf galaxies and gravitational lensing.
Researchers at the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed the two component self interacting dark matter model. Heavier particles move toward galaxy centers while lighter ones spread outward through direct collisions and mass segregation.
High resolution simulations showed this process creates low density cores in dwarf galaxies. It also forms compact structures that produce strong gravitational lensing effects.
The study builds on earlier work published in Physical Review D. It appeared in Science Bulletin with authors Daneng Yang, Yi-Zhong Fan, Siyuan Hou and Yue-Lin Sming Tsai.
Future observations from sky surveys may test the model's predictions about dark matter substructures.