Question

Imagine that it turns out that dark matter (not dark energy) is made up of an unstable form of matter that decays into photons or other forms of energy about 50 billion years from now. Based on current understanding, how would that affect the universe at that time?

A) The universe would become more massive.
B) The universe would become less massive.
C) The universe would remain unchanged.
D) The effects on the universe would depend on the specific characteristics of the decay.

Answer 1

The effects on the universe would depend on the specific characteristics of the decay.

Step-by-step explanation:

If dark matter is made up of an unstable form of matter that decays into photons or other forms of energy about 50 billion years from now, the effects on the universe would depend on the specific characteristics of the decay. We currently do not have enough information about the specific characteristics of the decay, so it is difficult to predict how it would affect the universe. It is important to note that dark matter currently does not interact with light or other forms of electromagnetic radiation, so if it were to decay into photons, it would be a significant change.