ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the Standard Model of particle physics and deals with the problem of whether dark matter may be accounted for by extending such a model to incorporate extra spatial dimensions. The chapter argues for the existence of a compact fourth spatial dimension that may serve to store dark matter. The quest for dark matter becomes contingent on identifying and validating the global topology of the universe as a compact multiply connected space whose quotient space modulo, the “dormant” dimension, may be locally homeomorphic and indistinguishable from Euclidean space. By reconciling experimental measurements of the spectrum of the gradient temperature field for cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation, the chapter concludes that a dormant circular dimension may be consistent with a present-day five-dimensional toroidal space-time with extremely large aspect ratios relative to the dormant coordinate. The topological invariance of the universe has thus been maintained since the Big Bang, in accordance with general relativity.
