Q&A: Cosmology
Q:
What is the hot subject/topic in particle physics these days?
A:
The answer to this question depends
on what type of particle physics you are interested in.
In theoretical high-energy particle physics, which is the name usually
given to theories attempting to unify the force of gravity with the
other 3 known forces (electromagnetic, strong and weak forces), the
hottest theories are string theory:
http://superstringtheory.com/
In astronomy/cosmology, a hot topic is the search for the identity of
dark matter, which makes up approximately 25% of the "stuff" of the
Universe.
Particularly relevant to your question is "The Dark Universe" link, the
fifth link on his list. He describes the candidates for dark matter
particles there. The Chandra Q&A pages also touch on this subject, for
example:
http://chandra.harvard.edu/resources/faq/dmatter/dmatter-9.html
An overview of the Chandra mission and goals, Chandra's namesake, top 10 facts.
Classroom activities, printable materials, interactive games & more.
Overview of X-ray Astronomy and X-ray sources: black holes to galaxy clusters.
All Chandra images released to the public listed by date & by category
Current Chandra press releases, status reports, interviews & biographies.
A collection of multimedia, illustrations & animations, a glossary, FAQ & more.
A collection of illustrations, animations and video.
Chandra discoveries in an audio/video format.

