No trace of dark matter halos

According to the standard model of cosmology, the vast majority of galaxies are surrounded by a halo of dark matter particles. This halo is invisible, but its mass exerts a strong gravitational pull on galaxies in the vicinity. A new study led by the University of Bonn (Germany) and the University of Saint Andrews (Scotland) challenges this view of the Universe. The results suggest that the dwarf galaxies of Earth's second closest galaxy cluster—known as the Fornax Cluster—are free of such dark matter halos. The study appeared in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.