Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: Rick Giuly on 28/06/2009 16:30:02

Title: Would Dark Matter pass through a person?
Post by: Rick Giuly on 28/06/2009 16:30:02

Rick Giuly  asked the Naked Scientists:
   
Dark matter doesn't interact electromagnetically, does that mean that if you tried to hold a piece in your hand, it would fall through your hand, and into the ground (toward the center of the earth).

Also, could there be dark matter floating around (near the earth's gravity field) in orbit or whatever that we just don't notice?


-rick
(san diego)

What do you think?

Title: Would Dark Matter pass through a person?
Post by: LeeE on 28/06/2009 17:09:20

It depends on what you think 'Dark Matter' actually is.

Some people think it is just ordinary matter that is too cold or rarified to be seen optically whereas other people think it is some type of an as yet undefined exotic matter.

Personally, I can see the scope for an awful lot of cold or rarified matter in the universe and I've yet to see a plausible model for the exotic stuff, so naturally, I'm undecided on this 'matter'  [;D]

Title: Would Dark Matter pass through a person?
Post by: Shadec on 30/06/2009 09:24:14

as LeeE said, it just depends on what it actually IS!
so if it is infact, so called 'antimatter', then it would go through, taking with it the matter it came in contact with, and converting it into energy.
apparently, (this is based on a memory of reading an article from awhile ago) thee is such a thing as 'anti-hydrogen', where the negative subatomic particles (antiproton) are actually orbited by the positive ones (positron), and when it comes in contact with matter, they simply cease to exist, releasing a burst of energy. (and before someone asks, no, this isnt a viable way of producing energy, as the energy input to create it is very high! also, it is the most expensive substance in the universe, costing around US$62.5 trillion per gram), it is produced naturally in our earth's Van Allen Belts.
they were first created in CERN, in the 1990s.
this sort of thing (the anti-'s) fascinate me!

Title: Would Dark Matter pass through a person?
Post by: LeeE on 30/06/2009 17:36:01

Dark matter, if it is not simply cold matter, won't be antimatter because apart from its mutual antipathy with matter it's otherwise indistinguishable from it (at least as far as this question is concerned).