Ground based experiments are testing particular models of dark matter. We know it (or some modification of gravity) exists due to its gravitational effects. Dir

Ground based experiments are testing particular models of dark matter. We know it (or some modification of gravity) exists due to its gravitational effects. Direct detection could potentially rule out the modified gravity explanation, and tell us more about what it is, but it appears disfavoured anyway (due to bullet cluster et.al.). The only models of modified gravity I know that are more than ad hoc modifications of individual equations, and are actually complete theories, introduce new fields anyway (e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tensor%E2%80%93vector%E2%80%93scalar_gravity https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tensor%E2%80%93vector%E2%80%93...). Additional matter appears to be an unavoidable consequence of her discovery. What remains open is the type of matter.