15. Observational Evidence: Dark Matter without Magic

CMFT makes specific predictions about "missing mass" signals that differ entirely from particle theories. The "Dark Matter" signal is not a substance; it is the result of High-Efficiency Vacuum Coupling arising from specific states of matter.

The Mechanism: Coherence and Binding Energy

Why does sparse gas often exert more gravity per nucleon than a star? It is a matter of Hydrodynamic Coherence. The interaction with the Superfluid Vacuum depends on how "tightly" the momentum flux loops are locked and how "coherently" they drive the vacuum substrate.

• High Binding Energy (Screened): In Stars and Planets, the internal components are locked tightly together in a dense lattice. The flux loops are "stiff" and internalised. They slip through the superfluid vacuum with minimal drag, exerting only standard Newtonian gravity.
• Laminar Gas (Unscreened): In diffuse Neutral Atomic Hydrogen (HI) surrounding a galaxy, the atoms are mechanically isolated and move in stable, laminar orbits. This "looseness" allows the atom to wobble against the vacuum pressure. Because the flow is orderly, these individual wobbles sum constructively, generating the massive vacuum tension we perceive as a Dark Matter halo.

The Hydrogen Anomaly (Gas-Rich vs. Gas-Poor)

The anomaly tracks the presence of Coherent Gas Flow.

• Gas-Rich Dwarfs (DDO 154): These galaxies are dominated by loose, laminar Neutral Hydrogen. The vacuum coupling is maximized by the stable flow. We measure this as a massive "Dark Matter" halo.
• Gas-Poor Dwarfs (NGC 1052-DF2): These are composed almost entirely of stars (High Binding Energy) with no gas. Because the matter is "screened" and there is no gas to drive the vacuum, the extra tension vanishes. CMFT correctly predicts that these galaxies should follow standard Newtonian dynamics (No Dark Matter), a prediction that fails in standard particle models.

The Bullet Cluster: A Hydrodynamic Collision

The collision of two Galaxy Clusters (e.g., the Bullet Cluster) is often cited as proof of particle Dark Matter because the gravity signal (Lensing) separates from the gas. CMFT explains this as the Collision of Two Vacuum Vortices.

A Galaxy Cluster is not a bag of mass; it is a massive, self-sustaining Low-Pressure Weather System (a Nucleation Event). The Galaxies are the "Eyes" of the storm—the pumps maintaining the pressure gradient.

• The Nucleation Cores (Galaxies): The galaxies are the structural anchors of the vortex. When the clusters collide, these heavy cores carry the immense momentum of the pressure system. The vacuum gradient (Gravity) naturally stays anchored to the pumps that created it.
• The Debris Field (Gas): The gas behaves like fluid debris. In the collision, it hits a wall of viscosity, creating massive shockwaves (100 million degrees). Crucially, this Turbulence destroys Coherence.

In a solitary galaxy, the gas is laminar and contributes to the halo. In the Bullet Cluster, the gas becomes chaotic. It loses its ability to drive the vacuum coherently. The "Dark Matter" signal does not follow the gas because the gas has ceased to be an effective Flux Generator. The gravity remains with the Galaxies, not because they are heavy, but because they are the surviving Coherent Structures maintaining the vacuum flow.