Electromagnetism is an important indicator of the energy level of matter, as well as the core criterion for matter’s observability, interactability and structurability. 2026.6

From Rigid Postulates to Dynamic Evolution: A Record of Thought Experiment on the Nature of Dark Matter  （Paper B）

Author: Zhang Suhang
Affiliation: Luoyang, Henan
Date: August 2026

Abstract

This paper documents the complete intellectual trajectory behind the construction of the energy-level de-excitation hypothesis for dark matter. Stemming from primitive physical intuition, the framework underwent repeated dialogue with mainstream theories, rigorous screening against observational datasets, and multiple rounds of self-correction, eventually maturing into a logically consistent alternative framework amenable to falsification. Rather than a formal research article, this work serves as an intellectual journal demonstrating how scientific conjectures evolve from vague intuitions into testable hypotheses. Three pivotal cognitive turning points are identified: re‑examining whether electromagnetic properties constitute intrinsic attributes of matter, transitioning from static categorical thinking to a dynamic picture of mutual state conversion, and imposing deliberate theoretical restraint by narrowing the explanatory scope down to an 18% upper bound constrained by cosmological observations. The formative reasoning behind the hypothesis carries profound epistemological implications: resolving theoretical puzzles does not always necessitate positing novel fundamental particles; redefining the state space of known baryonic matter presents a viable alternative path.

Keywords: intellectual evolution; dark matter; energy-level de‑excitation; scientific methodology; theoretical construction

1. Motivations: The Perceived Artificiality of Mainstream Postulates

The present line of inquiry originated from fundamental conceptual doubts.
The standard ΛCDM cosmological model delineates the cosmic energy budget as approximately 26% dark matter, 68% dark energy, and fewer than 5% ordinary baryonic matter. Conventional interpretations hold that dark matter consists of exotic particles outside the Standard Model of particle physics, inherently decoupled from electromagnetic interactions, whose cosmic abundance was finely tuned and fixed immediately following the Big Bang.

While internally logically coherent, this paradigm relies on several rigid, ad‑hoc postulates that appear physically contrived:

- Why are dark‑matter particles inherently devoid of electromagnetic coupling? Imposed as an intrinsic fundamental property.
- Why does dark matter possess its precise observed cosmic abundance? Prescribed as an initial Big‑Bang boundary condition.
- Why do visible baryonic matter and dark matter exist as mutually exclusive, immutable categories? Enforced through fundamental ontological classification.

A recurring lesson throughout scientific history holds that theories reliant on excessive arbitrary postulates remain incomplete conceptual sketches. Fundamental physical forces continuously interweave across cosmic evolution, permitting vast variations in material states. It appears philosophically unnatural that matter would be dichotomised rigidly into inherently luminous and inherently non‑luminous varieties solely based on electromagnetic coupling capacity.

This discrepancy birthed the core preliminary intuition: dark matter may denote a metastable physical state of conventional matter, rather than an entirely distinct category of elementary particle.

2. First Intellectual Barrier: Examining the Intrinsic Nature of Electromagnetic Interaction

Under the state‑based interpretation of dark matter, a critical question emerges: can ordinary baryonic matter undergo effective suppression of electromagnetic activity?
Standard physics conventionally treats electric charge and magnetic moments borne by protons, neutrons and electrons as immutable intrinsic particle properties. This orthodox stance initially stalled further reasoning, until overlooked empirical evidence was reconsidered. Not all leptons and baryons exhibit measurable electromagnetic responses. Though neutrons possess subtle magnetic moments, they carry zero net electric charge; the three neutrino flavours (\nu_e,\nu_\mu,\nu_\tau) participate in no electromagnetic interactions whatsoever despite belonging to the broader lepton family alongside charged leptons such as electrons and muons. Distinctions in physical flavour and energetic configuration yield drastically divergent electromagnetic behaviours within the same particle superfamily.

This observation invalidates an absolute ontological boundary predicated upon electromagnetic responsiveness. Neutrinos lack electromagnetic coupling yet constitute established physical entities detectable via weak nuclear interactions. Extending this logic yields a pivotal inference: under extreme cooling and drastic contraction of systemic energy levels, conventional baryonic matter may transition into an electromagnetically quiescent metastable state analogous to neutrinos. Such reasoning underpinned the later formulation of the de‑excitation factor \zeta, framing electromagnetic activity as a continuous variable spanning the interval [0,1] instead of a binary on‑off property.

3. Second Intellectual Barrier: Shifting from Static Classification to Dynamic State Conversion

Granting matter the capacity to modulate electromagnetic states raises a subsequent question: does state transition operate unidirectionally, or permit bidirectional reversibility?
Early reasoning centred exclusively upon the forward evolutionary pathway: continuous energy dissipation via radiative cooling of stellar remnants and diffuse cosmic gas drives gradual de‑excitation toward electromagnetically inert dark states. This unilateral framework already accounts for multiple cosmological phenomena, including the declining cosmic star‑formation rate, the missing baryon problem, and the spherical spatial geometry of dark‑matter haloes.

Nonetheless, the hypothesis matured from static descriptive taxonomy into a full dynamic evolutionary framework upon addressing a key counterquestion: can de‑excited quiescent matter regain electromagnetic activity following external energy injection?
A bidirectional conversion mechanism was accordingly integrated into the model. Astrophysical shocks generated during galactic mergers, tidal disruption events, or nearby supernova outbursts deliver transient energy pulses to baryonic dark residues (BDR), locally re‑exciting dormant matter and producing detectable radio or X‑ray transient signals.

This theoretical revision bears far‑reaching physical significance. A strictly unidirectional cooling pathway predicts inevitable universal thermodynamic heat death; reversible state transitions characterise dark residual matter as an active cosmic medium facilitating persistent energy exchange rather than a permanent cosmic graveyard for baryonic material. Practically, it redirects experimental search strategies: rather than conducting prolonged passive detection of rare scattering collisions within terrestrial detector media, astronomers may target re‑excitation signatures around energetic astrophysical transient events.

4. Third Intellectual Barrier: Restraining Explanatory Scope Instead of Pursuing Universal Coverage

The preliminary intuitive conjecture initially asserted that all dark matter originates from cooled baryonic material. Rigorous cosmological observational constraints quickly necessitated substantial revision.
Big‑Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) imposes an upper density bound upon total cosmic baryonic mass at roughly 4.8% of the cosmic total mass density, whereas dark matter accounts for approximately 26% of the cosmic density budget. Numerically, even the complete conversion of all baryonic matter into electromagnetically inert residues can explain at most 18.4% of observed dark‑matter mass, leaving the remaining bulk requiring independent physical origins.

This marked a decisive theoretical crossroads. Disregarding BBN constraints to claim baryonic evolution accounts for all dark matter would severely undermine academic credibility. Conversely, acknowledging intrinsic model limitations and confining the hypothesis to its mathematically permissible domain represents deliberate scholarly restraint.

Reframing the theory as a complementary rather than rival cosmological framework constitutes the most vital revision within this study. The model does not seek to supersede existing WIMP or axion paradigms; it advances a multicomponent origin hypothesis asserting that a finite fraction of dark matter arises from baryonic de‑excitation. Academia exhibits stringent scepticism toward theories claiming full replacement of established paradigms, yet readily accommodates supplementary mechanisms enriching the existing ΛCDM structure. Adopting a conciliatory interpretative stance renders the hypothesis academically admissible.

5. Epistemic Turning Point: Advancing Beyond Post‑hoc Explanation Toward Falsifiable Prediction

Physical conjectures limited exclusively to explaining pre‑existing observational evidence qualify merely as philosophical speculation unless equipped with falsifiable predictive content. The introduction of two independent astronomical predictions elevates the energy‑level de‑excitation hypothesis into a empirically testable scientific framework.

Prediction 1: Anomalous 21‑cm absorption signatures at high redshifts.
Should substantial quantities of primordial stellar remnants undergo baryonic de‑excitation into BDR at high redshifts (z\approx10–20), diffuse residual matter dilutes the density of neutral primordial hydrogen. Consequently, the cosmic 21‑cm hyperfine absorption profile exhibits systematic attenuation (5%–15% weaker absorption depth) relative to standard ΛCDM forecasts. The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and its precursor radio interferometers (LOFAR, MWA) possess instrumental capacity to verify this deviation.

Prediction 2: Elevated microlensing event rates within the Galactic halo.
Compact incompletely dispersed baryonic remnants ranging between 0.1–10M_\odot residing within the Milky Way halo form dynamically cold structures characterised by low velocity dispersion. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s upcoming microlensing surveys shall record statistically heightened microlensing event frequencies compared with predictions derived purely from exotic non‑baryonic dark‑matter candidates such as WIMPs.

Both predictions focus upon identifying measurable deviations from established ΛCDM observables instead of directly detecting dark matter constituents. Comparative analysis between observational measurements and theoretical baseline values constitutes a robust falsification criterion, eliminating ambiguities inherent to interpreting weak excess detection signals.
Furthermore, the framework contextualises decades‑long null results from terrestrial dark‑matter direct‑detection experiments: neutrinos remain detectable via weak interactions despite lacking electromagnetic coupling, whereas fully de‑excited BDR suppresses both electromagnetic and weak scattering cross‑sections, naturally accounting for persistent laboratory detection null outcomes. This logical construction forms the core defensive backbone of the hypothesis.

6. Retrospective Validation: Consistency with Established Cosmological Observations

Retrospective comparison against well‑confirmed astronomical datasets reveals substantial qualitative alignment between real‑world cosmic trends and the proposed baryonic de‑excitation mechanism:

1. The declining global cosmic star‑formation rate documented by Madau & Dickinson (2014): diminishing reservoirs of energetically excited luminous matter correlate temporally with the gradual accumulation of low‑energy electromagnetically quiescent baryonic residues across cosmic history.
2. The cosmic missing baryon problem: traditional explanations attribute unaccounted baryonic mass to warm intergalactic plasma; the present framework introduces a parallel reservoir consisting of de‑excitation baryonic matter invisible across the electromagnetic spectrum, with both mechanisms physically compatible.
3. Spherical geometric profiles of galactic dark‑matter haloes: long‑term tidal disruption and dynamical diffusion of aged stellar remnants naturally generate spatially isotropic halo distributions without ad‑hoc assumptions regarding the primordial velocity statistics of exotic dark particles.

A physically natural cosmological framework ought not merely generate novel predictions; it must additionally furnish coherent physical rationalisation for pre‑existing observational phenomena subtly suggestive of its underlying principles.

7. Concluding Reflections on the Present Thought Experiment

Recounting the full theoretical construction process yields three core methodological takeaways:
First, unresolved physical perplexities constitute superior starting points compared to rote acceptance of prevailing paradigms. Intuitive discomfort stemming from excessive ad‑hoc rigid postulates within ΛCDM motivated the entire line of inquiry; adherence exclusively to established doctrines would preclude novel theoretical development entirely.

Second, remodelling static physical attributes as dynamic state variables often carries greater explanatory power than positing unprecedented fundamental physical entities. The present study neither modifies gravitational field equations nor overturns general relativity nor introduces new elementary particles. It merely reinterprets electromagnetic coupling strength as an energy‑dependent variable modulated by physical state. This conceptual adjustment resolves multiple interconnected cosmological puzzles encompassing detection null results, dark‑matter origin, baryonic‑dark‑matter ontological division, and the long‑term evolutionary fate of celestial bodies. Fundamental physical progress frequently hinges upon refined interpretative perspectives of known matter rather than the continual postulation of undiscovered physical substances.

Third, credible scientific hypotheses demand clear demarcation of explanatory boundaries. Failure to acknowledge the 18% BBN‑imposed upper limit would marginalise the present work as unfounded amateur conjecture; deliberate constraint of theoretical scope secures eligibility for rigorous academic discourse. A robust scientific hypothesis distinguishes explicitly between phenomena it can plausibly explain and physical questions outside its valid domain.

Empirical validation of the energy‑level de‑excitation framework awaits decade‑scale observational data delivered by upcoming SKA radio astronomy programmes and Roman space‑telescope surveys. Confirmation of the proposed observational anomalies would corroborate the multicomponent origin hypothesis of cosmic dark matter; contradictory measurements shall invalidate the baryonic de‑excitation mechanism whilst preserving scholarly value as a systematically formulated falsified cosmological conjecture. Regardless of eventual empirical verdict, the complete developmental pathway—progressing from primitive intuition to constrained scientific hypothesis and falsifiable astronomical prediction—carries enduring methodological merit transcending the hypothesis’s eventual physical validity.