The cosmological constant and dark matter in the Galaxy

Flat galactic rotation curves represent strong evidence that a substantial fraction of the total galactic gravitational mass is not visible or that gravitational dynamics on the galactic scale is not understood. Particle physics models do no offer any simple explanation as to why the dark matter candidates assume the requisite shape (e.g., a coronal halo), because the basic problem of galactic confinement is never addressed. A similar problem has existed in hadron physics until the advent of quantum chromodynamics and soliton bag theory. A new interpretation of the cosmological constant λ in general relativity as a confinement mechanism for the so‐called MIT bag (the author’s proposed tensor‐soliton theory of gravitation) is used to demonstrate that all hadronic matter in the Universe may be comprised of a hidden mass component due to λ.