Paper detail

Is the Universe Simpler than LCDM?

In the standard cosmological model, the Universe consists mainly of two invisible substances: vacuum energy with constant mass-density rho_v=Λ/(8pi G) (where Lambda is a `cosmological constant' originally proposed by Einstein and G is Newton's gravitational constant) and cold dark matter (CDM) with mass density that is currently rho_{DM,0}\sim 0.3 rho_v. This `LCDM' model has the virtue of simplicity, enabling straightforward calculation of the formation and evolution of cosmic structure against the backdrop of cosmic expansion. Here we review apparent discrepancies with observations on small galactic scales, which LCDM must attribute to complexity in the baryon physics of galaxy formation. Yet galaxies exhibit structural scaling relations that evoke simplicity, presenting a clear challenge for formation models. In particular, tracers of gravitational potentials dominated by dark matter show a correlation between orbital size, R, and velocity, V, that can be expressed most simply as a characteristic acceleration, a_{DM}\sim 1 km^2 s^{-2} pc^{-1} \approx 3 x 10^{-9} cm s^{-2} \approx 0.2c\sqrt{G rho_v}, perhaps motivating efforts to find a link between localized and global manifestations of the Universe's dark components.