* Large mass compared to standard particles (WIMPs with sub-[[Electron volt|GeV]]/''c''<sup>2</sup> masses may be considered to be [[light dark matter]]).
Because of their lack of electromagnetic interaction with normal matter, WIMPs would be invisible through normal electromagnetic observations. Because of their large mass, they would be relatively slow moving and therefore "cold".<ref>{{cite journalbook |arxiv=0707.0472 |last1=Zacek |first1=Viktor |title=Fundamental Interactions |chapter=Dark Matter |year=2007 |doi=10.1142/9789812776105_0007 |journal=Fundamental Interactions|pages=170–206 |isbn=978-981-277-609-9 |s2cid=16734425 }}</ref> Their relatively low velocities would be insufficient to overcome the mutual gravitational attraction, and as a result, WIMPs would tend to clump together.<ref name="Griest">{{cite journal |arxiv=hep-ph/9303253 |last1=Griest |first1=Kim |title=The Search for the Dark Matter: WIMPs and MACHOs |journal=Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences |volume=688 |pages=390–407 |year=1993 |doi=10.1111/j.1749-6632.1993.tb43912.x|pmid=26469437 |bibcode=1993NYASA.688..390G |s2cid=8955141 }}</ref> WIMPs are considered one of the main candidates for [[cold dark matter]], the others being [[massive compact halo objects]] (MACHOs) and [[axions]]. These names were deliberately chosen for contrast, with MACHOs named later than WIMPs.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1086/169575 |last=Griest |first=Kim |title=Galactic Microlensing as a Method of Detecting Massive Compact Halo Objects |journal=The Astrophysical Journal |date=1991 |volume=366 |pages=412–421 |bibcode=1991ApJ...366..412G}}</ref> In contrast to WIMPs, there are no known stable particles within the [[Standard Model]] of particle physics that have the properties of MACHOs. The particles that have little interaction with normal matter, such as [[neutrino]]s, are very light, and hence would be fast moving, or "hot".
