Abstract
Dark matter is hypothesized in large part to account for anomalous data in rotational speeds of galaxies and random motions in clusters of galaxies. But the anomalies could also be solved by revising the theory of gravity, rather than revising the distribution of mass. This situation of underdetermination would seem to be exacerbated by the use of the theory of gravity, the general theory of relativity, in interpreting the data. In an effort to clarify the status of both the theory of dark matter and the general theory of relativity, this paper describes the details of the role of the general theory of relativity in interpreting evidence for dark matter.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 143-147 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B - Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics |
Volume | 44 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 2013 |
Keywords
- Dark matter
- General relativity
- Underdetermination
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- History
- General Physics and Astronomy
- History and Philosophy of Science