New sky map shows the influence of dark matter in the universe
Dark matter makes up the majority of the universe. A new sky map provides clues about its influence on the visible part of the universe.
Dark matter in space
(Image: Gavin Leroy/ COSMOS-Webb)
Dark matter is considered the invisible scaffolding of the universe. A new map of the sky shows how it influences the visible part of the universe.
The map was created using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Astronomers pointed the space telescope at a region on the celestial equator in the constellation Sextans, measuring about 2.5 full moons in size. JWST observed the celestial region for 255 hours, capturing 800,000 galaxies, ten times as many as have been identified in that region by telescopes on Earth and twice as many as the Hubble Space Telescope did in 2007.
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The goal of the observation was to precisely determine the position of normal matter and then compare it with the position of dark matter. Dark matter is estimated to make up about 85 percent of the universe and is considered its invisible scaffolding. However, it is invisible: it does not emit light, nor does it reflect, absorb, or block it. Therefore, it cannot be detected with telescopes.
Dark matter does interact with the visible universe through gravity: large clusters of dark matter have enough mass to warp space itself. This distorts the light from galaxies as it passes through the curved structure of spacetime on its way to Earth. The effect can be so strong that it is perceptible to the naked eye.
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JWST Captures Light Distortions
In this case, however, the effect is very weak; the light is only slightly deflected. The resolution of the JWST is so high that the tiny distortions could be captured.
The map makes the interaction of dark matter with normal matter visible, explain the researchers in the journal Nature Astronomy. Both are closely connected: “Wherever we see a large cluster of thousands of galaxies, we also see an equally large amount of dark matter in the same place. And when we see a thin chain of normal matter connecting two of these clusters, we also see a chain of dark matter,” said co-author Richard Massey. “They don’t just have the same shape. This map shows us that dark matter and normal matter have always been in the same place. They have grown together.”
(Image:Â NASA/STScI/J. DePasquale/A. Pagan)
Research suggests that in the early universe, dark matter formed clumps, which then attracted normal matter. This created regions with enough material for stars and galaxies to form.
“Our map shows, with unprecedented precision, how an invisible component of the universe has structured visible matter in such a way that galaxies, stars, and ultimately life could arise,” said co-author Gavin Leroy. “The map thus shows the invisible but essential role of dark matter as the true architect of the universe, gradually creating the structures that we observe through our telescopes.”
(wpl)
