Rotation curves and the dark matter problem

TL;DR

This paper reviews the historical development and observational evidence for dark matter, emphasizing galaxy rotation curves and the ongoing quest to understand its nature across multiple cosmic scales.

Contribution

It provides a historical perspective on dark matter research and discusses philosophical considerations related to its elusive nature.

Findings

Rotation curves suggest the presence of unseen mass.

Dark matter is inferred at various cosmic scales.

The quest for dark matter's nature remains unresolved.

Abstract

The concept of dark matter in the Universe and its components has been discussed in the 1930s by several authors, and in particular by Oort (1932) and Zwicky (1933). However, it is only in the 1970s that the existence of dark matter was considered convincing, thanks in part to observations of the rotation curves of galaxies. This dark matter should be present at multiple scales, in the solar neighborhood, our Galaxy, near and distant galaxies, clusters of galaxies, and the entire Universe. The subject attracts a very large community to discover the nature of this material, without achieving it. I will present my version of the history of this subject, trying to shed light on some philosophical aspects.