Realism and the detection of dark matter
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10814943 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Eugene Vaynberg (0009-0007-1244-955X, University of Pennsylvania, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 204 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Publication date | 2024-08-21 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Synthese (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0039-7857 • E-ISSN: 1573-0964 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s11229-024-04728-3 |
| OpenAlex | W4401753606 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 31 |
A number of philosophers claim that realism about dark matter in cosmology is unwarranted because there has been no empirical confirmation of a dark matter particle. This demand is misguided. I argue that we should take the theoretical concept of dark matter as described in our best cosmological model (ΛCDM) at face value. Since there is no theoretical or nomological requirement that dark matter be a particle, we should better assess the implications of dark matter detection via gravitational lensing. The result is that realism about dark matter is a viable position
Astrophysics · Cosmology · Dark matter · Epistemology · Particle physics · Physics · Realism · Cosmology and Gravitation Theories · Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena · Philosophy · Relativity and Gravitational Theory
Mond vs. dark matter in light of historical parallels
Dark matter, the Equivalence Principle and modified gravity
What have we learned from observational cosmology
Jump ship, shift gears, or just keep on chugging
Three problems about multi-scale modelling in cosmology
Evidence of dark matter, and the interpretive role of general relativity
On the interpretive role of theories of gravity and ‘ugly’ solutions to the total evidence for dark matter
Should scientific realists embrace theoretical conservatism
Scientific realism and empirical confirmation
ΛCDM and Mond
Cosmological realism
Simplicity and Simplification in Astrophysical Modeling
The Dark Matter Double Bind
| Citations per year | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |