Through the joint efforts of a group of scientists from around the world, the most accurate map of cosmic matter has been drawn so far. The research results will facilitate scientists to better understand the distribution of matter and dark matter in the universe in the future, and then grasp the composition of the universe.
The ordinary matter that can be touched in daily life only accounts for 5% of all matter in the universe, and the rest is mostly dark matter and dark energy. But because dark matter doesn’t interact with light, it’s been difficult for scientists to study. In the past, dark matter’s location was inferred by observing its interaction with ordinary matter around it.
The most accurate map of matter in the universe has been produced with the help of the Dark Energy Survey (DES) and South Pole Telescope. It shows how matter aggregated over the universe’s 13.8 billion-year lifespan, which will help scientists understand how the universe evolved.
Researchers use the phenomenon of gravitational lensing, which refers to stars or galaxy clusters, which have enough gravitational force because of the huge matter. When light passes through its surrounding environment, it will be affected by the gravitational field, and then bend or magnify , Scientists can also use this to observe ordinary matter and dark matter, and then compare the gravitational lens data collected by the two telescopes to draw a map of the universe.
The map of matter shows that the current theory of the generation of the universe may still be missing a part
This map of matter can then be compared with models of the evolution of the universe to see whether the observed distribution of matter matches theory. The results show that the distribution of matter in the universe does not completely match the process of the creation of the universe as we imagined.
The researchers found that the distribution of actual matter is less concentrated and more evenly distributed throughout the universe. If other studies have similar results, it may mean that the current human theory of the creation process of the universe after the Big Bang is still missing a part.
At present, the exact research results are still inconclusive. If more investigations and research are carried out, it will help the map change to be more accurate, and it will also be able to verify the current research progress.
Source: Digital Trends, Science Alert
Responsible editor: Jocelyn
Draft Editor: Anny
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The first draft of this article was compiled for INSIDE using AI.