Which observational signature would separate modified gravity theories from particle dark matter without invoking dark energy?
-
Time-varying supernova luminosity curves
-
Scale-dependent deviations in gravitational lensing
-
Constant baryon acoustic oscillation scale
-
Uniform vacuum energy density
Which observation would most strongly indicate dark energy is dynamical rather than a true cosmological constant?
-
Detection of non-baryonic massive particles
-
Flattening of galaxy rotation curves
-
Fixed acoustic peak spacing in the CMB
-
Time variation in the equation-of-state parameter w
Which scenario would directly falsify cold dark matter but leave dark energy models largely unaffected?
-
Detection of self-annihilating WIMPs
-
Strong late-time acceleration increase
-
Discovery of w ≠ −1
-
Observation of large galactic cores without cusps
Which equation-of-state parameter value (w) corresponds to a cosmological constant model of dark energy?
-
w = 1/3
-
w = +1
-
w = −1
-
w = 0
Which condition must dark matter satisfy to allow early galaxy formation despite radiation pressure after recombination?
-
Strong electromagnetic coupling
-
Relativistic thermal velocities
-
Non-relativistic (cold) behavior
-
Negative pressure equation of state
Which observational method constrains dark matter distribution but provides only indirect limits on dark energy?
-
Hubble constant local measurements
-
Type Ia supernova luminosity distances
-
Weak gravitational lensing surveys
-
Baryon acoustic oscillation scales
Which theoretical issue arises when dark energy is interpreted as vacuum energy in quantum field theory?
-
Failure to form large-scale structures
-
Absence of weakly interacting particles
-
Discrepancy between observed and predicted energy density
-
Breakdown of general relativity at galactic scales
Which effect of dark energy on the universe cannot be explained by gravitational influence alone, unlike dark matter?
-
Galaxy rotation curve flattening
-
Weak lensing around clusters
-
Cosmic microwave background anisotropies
-
Accelerated cosmic expansion
Which feature of the cosmic microwave background indirectly supports dark matter’s existence but not dark energy’s late-time dominance?
-
Dipole anisotropy
-
Photon decoupling temperature
-
Acoustic peak height ratios
-
Integrated Sachs–Wolfe effect
Which assumption allows dark energy to be modeled as a cosmological constant rather than a dynamic scalar field?
-
Time-invariant vacuum energy density
-
Scale-dependent gravitational strength
-
Interaction with baryonic matter
-
Non-zero spatial curvature
