Astronomers use space flash to find missing matter in the universe

Astronomers solve one of the greatest mysteries of the universe by pointing out the location of ordinary matter that has avoided scientists for decades.

Using fast radio bursts – erections, radio waves flashing in distant galaxies – researchers at Harvard University and Caltech mapped three-quarters of the range of normal matter in the universe. The answer surprised many: it floated in a vast space between galaxies, forming an invisible cosmic network that connects all the structures we see in space. This discovery represents the first time scientists have conducted a detailed census on the actual existence of all ordinary objects in the universe.

The study, published in Natural Astronomy, analyzed 60 fast radio bursts, from relatively nearby sources to the most distant records ever recorded, almost 9.1 billion light-years. Each burst is like a cosmic flashlight, illuminating the originally invisible gas that fills the universe.

Decades of mystery solved

“The decades of ‘missing Barion’s problem’ has never been about whether it exists,” said Liam Connor, the lead author of the study, Harvard and Smithsonians. “Always: Where is it? Now, thanks to FRB, we know: three quarters of it float between galaxies in the cosmic network.”

Scientists have long known that ordinary matter is mainly protons and neutrons, accounting for only about 5% of the universe, with dark matter and dark energy accounting for the rest. But even in that small part, at least half, is mysteriously unexplained in the observations of traditional stars, galaxies and gas clouds.

Previous attempts to find this missing substance rely on X-ray emissions and UV observations of distant quasars, which provide only a large amount of thin warm gases spread throughout the space. The problem is that this layered medium exists as a heat, low-density gas, and most telescopes are largely invisible.

Key findings:

• 76% of ordinary matter lives in interstellar space
• It is visible that 15% of the galaxy aura is present in the galaxy.
• Only 9% of stars, planets and cold galactic gases are retained
• Fast radio bursts can accurately measure intangible matter
• The structure of the universe matches advanced computer simulations

Cosmic flashlight reveals the hidden universe

Fast radio bursts can work as cosmic measurement tools because different radio wavelengths propagate through ionized gases at slightly different speeds. By accurately measuring each explosion slows down over a journey of billions of light-years, scientists can calculate the total amount of matter encountered by the signal.

“The FRB acts as a cosmic flashlight,” Connor explained. “They glow through the fog of interglacial medium, and by accurately measuring the speed of light, we can weigh the fog, even if it’s too faint to see.”

The technology requires unprecedented accuracy when detecting bursts and determining its exact origin. The California Deep Array-110 Telescope is crucial to this work because it is specially designed to locate rapid radio bursts into its host galaxy with arc accuracy.

Cosmic thermostat discovery

One important finding not found in the initial report involves what the researchers call the “cosmic thermostat” effect. The study shows that supermassive black holes and exploded stars effectively blow gas from the galaxy and into the atractylodes medium, preventing the galaxy from accumulating too much matter.

“Gratitude pulls baryons into galaxies, but supermassive black holes and exploded stars can blow them back – just like when temperatures are too high, the cosmic thermostat cools the liquid,” Connor noted. “Our results suggest that this feedback must be effective, blowing gas out of the galaxy and into the IGM.”

This feedback mechanism explains why a single galaxy contains far less matter than predicted theoretical models. Many ordinary matter is driven into the cosmic network through powerful processes such as supernova explosions and active galaxy nuclei, rather than being bound to galaxies.

The most distant signal ever

The crown jewelry of the study is FRB 20230521b, located 9.1 billion light years away, the most remote fast radio burst ever. This ancient signal occupied two-thirds of the universe’s age before reaching Earth, carrying information about when the universe was young to distribute matter.

It is worth noting that even this distant outbreak shows evidence of the distribution of matter in the universe observed by researchers in nearby areas, suggesting that the large-scale structure of the universe has been relatively stable over billions of years.

FRB 20230521b is particularly valuable, its location near what scientists call “DM cliffs” – without the observation of rapid radio bursts. This boundary exists because even the emptyest area of ​​space contains enough interlayer material to contribute the smallest signal delay.

Bridging the early and late universes

This study provides independent measurements of the content of ordinary matter in the universe, which is very consistent with predictions of cosmic microwave background and Big Bang nuclear synthesis. Scientists measured the current baryon density with 10% accuracy and found that it matched early cosmic values ​​in experimental uncertainty.

The agreement bridges the critical gap between cosmic observations only when it comes to 380,000 years of history and its current state’s measurements 13.8 billion years later. Consistency supports our basic understanding of how matter evolved from the primitive universe to the network of today’s universes.

Impact on cosmology

“This is a triumph of modern astronomy,” said Vikram Ravi, assistant professor and study co-author of Caltech. “Because of the FRB, we began to see the structure and composition of the universe with completely new light. These short flashes allow us to track the original intangible matter that fills the huge space between galaxies.”

These findings may also help address the “S8 tension” in cosmology, in which case observations of the structure of the universe seem to be inconsistent with theoretical predictions. If a strong feedback process effectively transfers matter from galaxy to galaxy space, it could explain why the measured cosmic structure seems smaller than expected.

Revolutionary mapping technology

In addition to solving the mystery of missing matter, research has also established rapid radio bursts as a powerful tool for mapping the structure of the universe. Unlike other technologies that rely on luminescent objects, FRB can detect dark space between galaxies where most ordinary matter actually lives.

So far, the cosmic networks (a network of gas networks connecting galaxies) have been largely theoretical. Although computer simulations predict their existence, direct observation is still elusive because the gas is too hot and dispersed to emit detectable light.

Fast radio bursts completely change this by providing direct detection of directly detecting matter throughout the journey from source to Earth. Each burst essentially weighs various ionized gases between its origin galaxy and our telescope.

Discovery of the Golden Age

“We are entering the golden age,” Ravi declared. “Next-generation radio telescopes such as the DSA-2000 and the Canadian Hydrogen Observatory and Radiation Propagation Detector will detect thousands of FRBs, allowing us to map the cosmic network in detail.”

Future investigations may detect tens of thousands of fast radio bursts, thus 3D mapping of the structure and evolution of the cosmic network in cosmic time. This will provide unprecedented insights on galaxy formation, how matter flows through the universe, and how the feedback process of the universe affects the distributions we observe today.

The technology can also limit basic characteristics such as the Hubble constant and dark energy by accurately measuring the rate of expansion of the universe at different times. With enough fast radio bursts, astronomers may create the most detailed map of the universe’s matter ever.

Rewrite textbooks

For decades, astronomy textbooks have included estimates and educated guesses where the common problems of the universe might be hidden. This study provides the first definite answer: it is not missing at all, but rather it distributes precisely where advanced computer simulations should be performed.

The cosmic network contains about four times the ordinary matter than all visible galaxies, stars and gas clouds. This invisible scaffolding provides a framework for the formation and evolution of all cosmic structures.

With more powerful telescopes going online, rapid radio bursts could become a routine tool for cosmic archaeology, allowing scientists to trace the universe’s distribution of matter back to its earliest times and move it forward to its ultimate destiny.

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