Scientists discover large dark matter filament between galaxies
Dark matter is one of the great mysteries of physics. It cannot be seen, but it can be perceived by scientists who study the gravitational effects that this invisible "something" is capable of causing.
One way to detect the presence of dark matter is through the distortion that its gravitational force can cause in light from other celestial bodies, such as galaxies. However, this is practically impossible to perceive from Earth and, until then, the only possibility of accomplishing this feat would be through large telescopes that we do not yet have.
But we said "until then", right?
Detecting dark matter
After many attempts, astronomers have finally found a way to detect a dark matter filament without using equipment that still needs to be built. The feat was performed by astronomer Jörg Dietrich and his team at the University of Munich Observatory in Germany.
To do so, the researchers explored the peculiar spatial geometry of two galaxy clusters and analyzed data collected over the past few years from more than 40, 000 different galaxies, concluding that among the 2.7 billion light years separating the two clusters Abell 222 and Abell 223, there is a dark matter filament that is distorting time-space in that region.
In 2008, Dietrich had already published research that revealed the presence of hot gases in the same area of the universe, suggesting the presence of the filament. However, it was not yet strong enough to detect dark matter directly. Now the new calculations reinforce the astronomer's previous work. The discovery is relevant because it helps to prove the theoretical model of universe formation.
Source: The Christian Science Monitor, Slashgear
