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Feb. 9, 2018
A doctoral student from the Uni Basel is currently in the forefront of the renowned magazine "Science" with a revolutionary theory. In particular, he questions the existence of dark matter.
Oliver Müller. Image Credit: Oliver Müller
The young man and his team found that the satellite galaxies were moving according to a common pattern of movements.
What if the Milky Way did not work the way scientists think? And if dark matter did not exist? It is with these questions that the 28-year-old Oliver Müller of Basel tickles astronomy specialists around the world, writes "20 Minuten". He and his team base their interrogations on a theory that they developed and which is currently found in "Science", the most famous scientific magazine of the world.
Image above: Oliver Müller and his theory on the movement of dwarf galaxies make the front page of the magazine "Science". Image Credit: Science.
Until now, astronomy was based on the assumption that small galaxies surrounding large star systems were randomly distributed and moving in a chaotic manner. Another theory commonly accepted in the field of astronomy: these small galaxies are interconnected by dark matter, invisible. However, Oliver Müller's discoveries put this into question.
A "universal phenomenon"
After studying the constellations of the Centaurus galaxy A, the young man and his team found that satellite galaxies moved in a common pattern of motion and gravitated around the mother galaxy. "This coherent movement seems to be a universal phenomenon, which requires new explanations," says the Bâlois. His discovery upsets not only all that has been commonly accepted about it so far, but also questions the existence of dark matter.
Image above: The young man and his team found that satellite galaxies were moving in a pattern of common movements. Credits: Christian Wolf & SkyMapper Team / Australian National University.
Oliver Müller is currently doing doctorate at the Uni Basel. The young man will be the last to receive a doctorate in astronomy at the Rhine High School, explains the "Tageswoche". The institute has in fact already been closed several years ago for reasons of economy. Reason why the course of the young man was integrated in that of the physicists. The last professor in astronomy will also retire in September.
University of Basel, Department of Physics: https://www.physik.unibas.ch/research/cosmology-particle-physics.html
Images (mentioned), Text, Credits: DAF/OFU/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.
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