Topic Editors

Faculty of Symbiotic Systems Science, Fukushima University, Fukushima 960-1296, Japan
Department of Mathematics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Department of Physics, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain

Dark Matter, Dark Energy and Cosmological Anisotropy

Abstract submission deadline
31 October 2026
Manuscript submission deadline
31 December 2026
Viewed by
837

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Investigating the origin of dark matter and dark energy is crucial to modern astroparticle physics and cosmology. After the first direct detection of the gravitational wave event from binary black holes by LIGO in 2015, we have entered the era of gravitational wave cosmology.

For the origin of dark matter, two main possibilities exist: One is new weakly interacting massive particles in particle theory models beyond the standard model. The other is astrophysical objects. On the other hand, the origin of dark energy, there are two representative approaches explaining the properties of dark energy components, realizing the late-time cosmic acceleration. The first is the introduction of unknown matter, called dark energy, with its negative pressure, in general relativity. The other is to extend a gravity theory on cosmological scales. The latter approach is known as geometrical dark energy. Moreover, another remarkable approach with anisotropies emerging during the cosmic expansion could have contributed to the generation of particle creation, through mechanisms activated under conditions of rapid spacetime variation, causing an anisotropic dark energy. Additionally, observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) reveal that the universe is not perfectly isotropic. On local scales, structures such as galaxies, clusters, voids, and cosmic filaments introduce local anisotropies, challenging the assumption of large-scale homogeneity and symmetry. In addition, the directional asymmetry of mass particles has recently been investigated. Moreover, cosmic expansion may exhibit directional dependence, influenced by factors such as primordial magnetic fields or asymmetric galaxy rotation. The anisotropies observed in the universe may be directly related to its matter content.

The main subject of this Topic project is an understanding of the true nature of dark matter and dark energy. We can consider both phenomenological approaches and the procedures based on fundamental physics, including higher-dimensional gravity theories, which extend GR by introducing additional degrees of freedom, offering alternative explanations for cosmic evolution,  and high-energy phenomena, quantum gravity, quantum field theories, and gauge field theories in curved spacetime, string theories, brane world models, and holographic principles.

It is our pleasure to invite submissions to this Topic on dark matter and dark energy, as well as relevant foundations of physics. 

Prof. Dr. Kazuharu Bamba
Prof. Dr. Panayiotis Stavrinos
Prof. Dr. Ivan De Martino
Topic Editors

Keywords

  • dark matter
  • dark energy
  • alternative theory of gravity
  • cosmology
  • late-time cosmic acceleration
  • physics in the early universe
  • physics beyond the standard model
  • anisotropic cosmological models
  • weakly interacting massive particles
  • gravitational waves
  • large-scale structure of the universe

Participating Journals

Journal Name Impact Factor CiteScore Launched Year First Decision (median) APC
Symmetry
symmetry
2.2 5.3 2009 15.8 Days CHF 2400 Submit
Galaxies
galaxies
3.8 6.3 2013 25.8 Days CHF 1500 Submit
Universe
universe
2.6 5.2 2015 21.8 Days CHF 1600 Submit
Particles
particles
2.3 3.0 2018 22 Days CHF 1600 Submit
Astronomy
astronomy
- 2.3 2022 30.2 Days CHF 1200 Submit

Preprints.org is a multidisciplinary platform offering a preprint service designed to facilitate the early sharing of your research. It supports and empowers your research journey from the very beginning.

MDPI Topics is collaborating with Preprints.org and has established a direct connection between MDPI journals and the platform. Authors are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity by posting their preprints at Preprints.org prior to publication:

  1. Share your research immediately: disseminate your ideas prior to publication and establish priority for your work.
  2. Safeguard your intellectual contribution: Protect your ideas with a time-stamped preprint that serves as proof of your research timeline.
  3. Boost visibility and impact: Increase the reach and influence of your research by making it accessible to a global audience.
  4. Gain early feedback: Receive valuable input and insights from peers before submitting to a journal.
  5. Ensure broad indexing: Web of Science (Preprint Citation Index), Google Scholar, Crossref, SHARE, PrePubMed, Scilit and Europe PMC.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Journals
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
29 pages, 767 KB  
Review
The Impact of Dark Matter on Gravitational Wave Detection by Space-Based Interferometers
by Yuezhe Chen, Pan-Pan Wang, Bo Wang, Rui Luo and Cheng-Gang Shao
Universe 2026, 12(2), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/universe12020048 - 11 Feb 2026
Viewed by 238
Abstract
The existence of dark matter is supported by multiple astrophysical observations, yet its particle nature remains unknown. The development of gravitational wave astronomy, especially with future space-based detectors such as LISA, provides new opportunities to study the interactions between dark matter and compact-object [...] Read more.
The existence of dark matter is supported by multiple astrophysical observations, yet its particle nature remains unknown. The development of gravitational wave astronomy, especially with future space-based detectors such as LISA, provides new opportunities to study the interactions between dark matter and compact-object systems. This review summarizes the main dark matter candidates and their macroscopic distributions, and highlights three mechanisms through which dark matter can affect gravitational wave observations: (1) modifications to compact-object orbits and the dynamics of systems such as extreme mass-ratio inspirals, including dark matter spikes, dynamical friction, and potential perturbations; (2) gravitational lensing effects induced by the spatial distribution of dark matter, altering waveform amplitudes and phases; and (3) direct couplings between ultralight dark matter fields and detectors. As low-frequency gravitational wave detection techniques are proposed and continue to develop, these effects may offer a novel avenue for probing the properties of dark matter, and combining precise waveform modeling with multi-messenger observations could reveal insights into its microscopic structure. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Dark Matter, Dark Energy and Cosmological Anisotropy)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop