Weakly Interacting Massive Particles and Stellar Evolution

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Numerous unsolved problems plague astrophysics as we approach the end of the 20th century. Two of them are the observation of fewer neutrinos coming from the sun than theory predicts and the probable existence of more matter in the universe than revealed by the visible stars and galaxies. Both problems could be resolved if there exist certain as of yet undetected elementary particles known as "weakly interacting massive particles" (WIMPs). The Principal Investigator was the originator of the hypothesis that WIMPS inhabit the cores of the sun and other stars, and that they are significant contributors to the universe's "missing" mass. He proposes to continue his investigation of the effects of WIMPs on the sun's structure, on the evolution of stars in general, and on the presence of dark matter in the universe. It should be added, that even if the WIMP hypothesis turns out to be wrong, it has already stimulated -- and promises to continue to do so -- much new research in a variety of fields in physics.