The flat rotation curves of spiral galaxies tell us that they contain a lot of dark matter.Do they tell us anything about where the dark matter is located within the galaxy?
A)Yes,they tell us that dark matter is concentrated near the center of the galaxy.
B)Yes,they tell us that dark matter is spread uniformly throughout the galactic disk.
C)Yes,they tell us that dark matter is spread throughout the galaxy,with most located at large distances from the galactic center.
D)No,we cannot determine anything about the location of dark matter from the rotation curve.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The flat rotation curves of spiral galaxies indicate that the velocity of stars and gas in the outer regions does not decrease as expected if the visible matter were all that existed. This suggests that dark matter is present and more abundant at larger distances from the galactic center, providing the necessary gravitational pull to maintain those higher velocities.

The Flat Rotation Curves of Spiral Galaxies Tell Us That