Astronomers map dark matter
Posted: Mon, Jan 8, 2007, 8:09 AM ET (1309 GMT)
Astronomers announced Sunday that they have constructed the first three-dimensional map of dark matter in the universe, finding that the distribution of the msyterious matter has become more clumpy over time. Researchers used data from the Hubble Space Telescope, augmented with observations by groundbased telescopes and ESA's XMM-Newton spacecraft, to measure the shapes of a half-million galaxies, using the subtle distortions in their shapes caused by the gravitational lensing effect of intervening clusters of dark matter to map the darm matter's location and distribution. The results confirm earlier hypotheses that normal matter accumulates in the densest concentrations of dark matter, and that galaxy clusters are found where filaments of dark matter intersect. The distribution of dark matter has also become more clumpy over time as it collapses under the force of gravity. The results do not, however, provide new insight on the nature of dark matter, whose total mass is more than five times that of normal matter in the universe.
Astronomers announced Sunday that they have constructed the first three-dimensional map of dark matter in the universe, finding that the distribution of the msyterious matter has become more clumpy over time. Researchers used data from the Hubble Space Telescope, augmented with observations by groundbased telescopes and ESA's XMM-Newton spacecraft, to measure the shapes of a half-million galaxies, using the subtle distortions in their shapes caused by the gravitational lensing effect of intervening clusters of dark matter to map the darm matter's location and distribution. The results confirm earlier hypotheses that normal matter accumulates in the densest concentrations of dark matter, and that galaxy clusters are found where filaments of dark matter intersect. The distribution of dark matter has also become more clumpy over time as it collapses under the force of gravity. The results do not, however, provide new insight on the nature of dark matter, whose total mass is more than five times that of normal matter in the universe.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, March 19
Firefly Aerospace Selected for the 2025 Robert J. Collier Trophy
National Aeronautic Association — 5:22 am ET (0922 GMT) Satellite development begins for EUMETSAT Polar System – Sterna
EUMETSAT — 5:22 am ET (0922 GMT) Minotaur IV rocket motor stacking at Vandenberg's Space Launch Complex-8
US Space Force — 5:20 am ET (0920 GMT) MDA Space awarded contract with Canadian Department of National Defence to deliver Ground-Based Optical Capability for Space Surveillance
MDA — 5:18 am ET (0918 GMT) Rocket Lab wins record contract with US Department of War
Radio New Zealand — 5:17 am ET (0917 GMT) |
