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Scientists developed the first image of dark matter, revealing its filaments.
STATES CHRONICLE – Researchers have unveiled the first image of the dark matter which is known to link galaxies across the entire universe. For decades, astronomers have monitored what it seemed to be a thread-like structure which connects galaxies in space. Indirect analyses, computer models, and several theories have suggested that a cosmic web of dark matter links all the galaxies and comprises the large-scale map of space.
Researchers developed the first image of dark matter
Nevertheless, they stated that the filaments which make up this web are huge and it is hard for them to observe dark matter. Recently, they have developed the first composite picture of such a filament which is bound to establish connections between galaxies. Mike Hudson, a professor of astronomy at the University of Waterloo in Canada, claimed that the new image helps scientists see and measure, without only estimating or forecasting.
They have now a pillar to start from building new studies and experiments to reveal more details about the dark matter. Mike Hudson is also the co-author of a new study which has been recently released in the ‘Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.’ Experts argue that dark matter is an evasive substance which makes up approximately 27% of space. This matter does not absorb or reflect light.
They unveiled its filaments which connect the galaxies in the universe
This is what made this matter impossible to be detected. Nevertheless, there is still something which gives it away, namely its effects when it enables a gravitational pull or when it encapsulates the light emitted by distant galaxies in a gravitational lensing. To develop this research, Hudson and Seth Epps, the co-author of the study, used a technique known as weak gravitational lensing.
This represents a statistical measurement of the minor bends which appear in the way of light which passes near the dark matter. The effect of the light triggers illustrations of galaxies which occur as twisted due to the presence of cosmic mass. Scientists argued that they implemented this technique to see whether the filaments of dark matter exist.
In their new study, researchers explained that to analyze the weak lensing signal of the filaments they needed two different sets of data, namely a catalog of background source galaxies showing accurate distance measurements and a catalog of galaxy cluster pairs which were lensed. They combined this information to unveil the extent to which these dark matter filaments extend in the universe to link galaxies.
Image source: wikipedia
