The Dark Side of the Cosmos: Dark Matter and Dark Energy Quiz

Gravitational lensing is the bending of light due to a gravitational field. This phenomenon occurs when light from a distant source passes through the gravitational field of a massive object, such as a galaxy or galaxy cluster. The gravitational field acts as a lens, causing the path of the light to bend. This effect was first predicted by Albert Einstein in his theory of general relativity.

The main effect of dark energy is accelerating the expansion of the universe. Unlike gravity, which tends to pull matter together and slow down the expansion, dark energy appears to have an opposite effect. It exerts a repulsive force, causing the rate of expansion of the universe to accelerate.

The cosmic microwave background (CMB) is radiation remaining from the Big Bang. It is not microwaves emitted by stars, black holes, or dark matter. The CMB is the thermal radiation that filled the universe shortly after the Big Bang and has since cooled as the universe expanded. It is essentially a faint glow of microwaves that permeates all of space.

Galactic rotation curves provide strong evidence for the presence of dark matter. The observed rotational velocities of stars and gas in galaxies are higher than what can be explained by the visible matter alone, suggesting the existence of invisible matter.

Dark matter is believed to be made of exotic particles rather than the familiar atoms, neutrinos, or photons that constitute ordinary matter. The nature of dark matter remains one of the outstanding mysteries in astrophysics and cosmology. While it doesn't emit, absorb, or reflect light, its presence is inferred through gravitational effects on visible matter, such as galaxies and galaxy clusters.

The theory that combines quantum mechanics and special relativity is Quantum Field Theory (QFT). Quantum field theory is a theoretical framework that extends quantum mechanics to include special relativity, providing a consistent description of particles and their interactions while incorporating the principles of relativistic physics.

The dominant component of the universe is dark energy. Dark energy, along with dark matter, makes up the majority of the universe's mass-energy content. Dark energy is a mysterious force that is thought to be responsible for the accelerated expansion of the universe.

The predicted composition of dark matter in the universe is mostly exotic particles. While ordinary, baryonic matter (such as protons and neutrons) makes up a small fraction of the total mass-energy content of the universe, dark matter is believed to consist predominantly of non-baryonic and non-interacting particles.

The form of radiation associated with the cosmic microwave background (CMB) is microwaves. The CMB is a faint glow of radiation that permeates the entire universe and is a remnant of the early moments of the Big Bang. It consists primarily of microwaves with a characteristic temperature of approximately 2.7 Kelvin (-270.45 degrees Celsius or -454.81 degrees Fahrenheit).

The property of dark energy that remains a mystery is its repulsive nature. Dark energy is thought to be responsible for the accelerated expansion of the universe, counteracting the attractive force of gravity that tends to slow down the expansion. This repulsive nature of dark energy was inferred from observations of distant supernovae and other cosmological phenomena.

Quantum field theory describes the behavior of particles at high energies, combining quantum mechanics with special relativity. It is an essential framework for understanding the fundamental forces and particles of the universe.

The concept of dark matter helps explain the observed rotation curves of galaxies. Without the presence of additional invisible matter, the observed velocities would not match the expectations based on visible matter alone.

The property of dark energy that causes it to counteract gravity's attractive force is negative pressure. Dark energy is associated with a negative pressure, and this negative pressure is believed to contribute to the accelerated expansion of the universe.

The observed effect of dark matter on galactic rotation curves is constant rotational velocities with distance. Galactic rotation curves describe the orbital velocities of stars or gas in a galaxy as a function of their distance from the galactic center. According to the expectations based solely on visible matter (such as stars and gas), the rotational velocities should decrease with increasing distance from the galactic center.