Hello everyone,

I always thought it is because of centrifugal force because it makes sense to me. There is gravity pulling and centrifugal force that pushing the planet out and it having an orbit. But someone told me that planets aren't flying out because of dark matter and stuff. Can someone light me up?

Also sorry for the bad English.

Centrifugal force is what is called a fictitious force because it is not a real force. The only force is the centripetal force of gravity pulling the planet in. This is balanced against the momentum of the orbiting body which is trying to follow a straight path away from the planet but can't because of gravity, so it travels, usually,.an elliptical path. I don't think dark matter has anything to do with it

Dark matter only becomes significant when you look at the orbits of stars within galaxies, and galaxies within clusters. There is too little in the solar system to have any measurable effect.

Dark matter only becomes significant when you look at the orbits of stars within galaxies, and galaxies within clusters. There is too little in the solar system to have any measurable effect.

Does dark matter tend to clump around the very large bodies and add to the gravitational force in that locality?

Does dark matter tend to clump around the very large bodies and add to the gravitational force in that locality?

 

 

Since dark matter has no way to lose energy other than gravitational radiation, it does not have a mechanism to easily coalesce.

Does dark matter tend to clump around the very large bodies and add to the gravitational force in that locality?

Only very slightly. I remember reading about a study that suggested that the Solar system "swept up" extra dark matter over time. But even then, the total DM within the entire volume of the solar system works out to be the equivalent of 1 small asteroid.

 

 

Since dark matter has no way to lose energy other than gravitational radiation, it does not have a mechanism to easily coalesce.

Does it tend to just 'float around' then in loose concentrations in a gas-like way?

Only very slightly. I remember reading about a study that suggested that the Solar system "swept up" extra dark matter over time. But even then, the total DM within the entire volume of the solar system works out to be the equivalent of 1 small asteroid.

Right. Cheers.

Does it tend to just 'float around' then in loose concentrations in a gas-like way?

 

 

I believe so but there was an article on this recently that I haven't had a chance to read that might suggest otherwise

 

(edit: this, which is based an arxiv paper that includes conjecture including "dark electromagnetism")