This new theory explains how gravity could exist without mass

For nearly a century, scientists have been trying to unravel the mystery of dark matter, this hypothetical form of matter that is thought to be responsible for certain gravitational effects unexplained by General Relativity. A new theory could change the game.


Dr. Richard Lieu, from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in the United States, proposes a novel solution. In a publication of the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, he shows how gravity could exist without the presence of mass. This approach could challenge the very existence of dark matter.

Dr. Richard Lieu explains that the gravity needed to hold galaxies and galaxy clusters together could be due to special topological structures formed during phase transitions in the early Universe. These structures, called topological defects, include shells composed of layers of positive and negative masses.

These shells, while lacking measurable mass, could exert a significant gravitational force. A star located on one of these shells would feel an attraction towards the center of the shell, without any additional mass being detected.

Dr. Richard Lieu's new theory could explain phenomena such as the bending of light and the orbital speeds of stars, which have so far been attributed to dark matter. Indeed, these topological shells would produce similar effects without requiring invisible matter.

This hypothesis opens new avenues for understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies and galaxy clusters. Even though this theory still needs to be verified, it could represent a major advancement in our understanding of gravity and the Universe.