On a large scale, the universe is like a complex spider network, full of cosmic filaments of gas, dust and dark matter, separated by large gaps. Now, in a new remarkable image, the researchers captured one of these cosmic filaments that connected two galaxies since the universe had only 2 billion years. It is the most detailed image of an old Strand of the cosmic web Never taken.
Cosmic filaments extend in millions of light years and form what is known as the “cosmic website.” The galaxies come together to form large filaments, and at their intersections there are groups of galaxies, the densest regions on the web. These filaments channel gas in galaxies, thus helping them to grow. They also channel galaxies in galaxies groups, thus creating the larger structures in the universe.
The structure of the cosmic website is not random. It is formed by Dark matterThe mysterious entity that represents 85% of the entire matter in the universe. Dark matter is heavy and does not interact with light, so it is difficult to detect. But interacts with normal and gravitationally visible matter; He throws it in a way we can see. Because of this, dark matter dominates normal matter. It keeps everything together and gives it structure. It also shapes the filaments of the cosmic web.
Gas flow within filaments can provide information on how galaxies are formed and evolved. However, it is difficult to observe gas within these filaments because even the most abundant element, hydrogen, emits a very weak light.
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Unraveling “the web”
To capture the new image, astronomers of the University of Milano-Bicocca in Italy and the Max Planck Institute (MPA) in Germany used 150 hours of observations of the spectroscopic explorer instrument (Muse) of multiple units in the southern observatory of the observatory Very large European in Chile to capture a highly detailed portrait of a cosmic filament that extends around 3 million light years and They connect two galaxies with supermassive Black holes.
From these observations, the researchers drawed the boundary between gas in galaxies and the material in the cosmic network through direct measurements for the first time, principal author Davide TornottiA doctoral student at the University of Milano-Bicocca said In a statement. Muse’s remarkable sensitivity allowed the team study Posted on January 29, 2025 in the journal Nature Astronomy.
Based on the current cosmological model, the team simulated the expected filamentary structure within the cosmic website. “Comparing with the new high -definition image of the cosmic network, we find a substantial agreement between current theory and observations,” Tornotti said. This adds support to the standard cosmology model, which some researchers have begun to question thanks DECONCONSTANT OBSERVATIONS OF THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE of the universe very early.
The clear image and its strong alignment with predictions open new opportunities to study the distribution of gases in cosmic filaments and their impact on galaxies formation. Co -author of the study and scientist of the staff of MPA Fabrizio Arrigoni Battaia He added that the team plans to discover more filaments in future observations to obtain a complete vision of how gas flows within the cosmic network.
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