  A version of the virial theorem, which takes into account the effects of the
non-compact extra-dimensions, is derived in the framework of the brane world
models. In the braneworld scenario, the four dimensional effective Einstein
equation has some extra terms, called dark radiation and dark pressure,
respectively, which arise from the embedding of the 3-brane in the bulk. To
derive the generalized virial theorem we use a method based on the
collisionless Boltzmann equation. The dark radiation term generates an
equivalent mass term (the dark mass), which gives an effective contribution to
the gravitational energy. This term may account for the well-known virial
theorem mass discrepancy in actual clusters of galaxies. An approximate
solution of the vacuum field equations on the brane, corresponding to weak
gravitational fields, is also obtained, and the expressions for the dark
radiation and dark mass are derived. The qualitative behavior of the dark mass
is similar to that of the observed virial mass in clusters of galaxies. We
compare our model with the observational data for galaxy clusters, and we
express all the physical parameters of the model in terms of observable
quantities. In particular, we predict that the dark mass must extend far beyond
the presently considered virial radius. The behavior of the galaxy cluster
velocity dispersion in brane world models is also considered. Therefore the
study of the matter distribution and velocity dispersion at the extragalactic
scales could provide an efficient method for testing the multi-dimensional
physical models.
