Astrophysicists have found the missing matter of the universe using radio bursts

Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a new method of searching for the missing ordinary matter of the universe using fast radio bursts. This was reported by the magazine on July 21. Phys.org .

Experts have discovered that the missing matter exists in the form of highly rarefied clouds surrounding groups of galaxies. These structures extend over distances significantly exceeding the theoretical predictions of scientists. The analysis showed that the matter is distributed in a radius of up to 4 million light-years, while the size of the galaxy itself is only a few hundred thousand light-years.

The method is based on the analysis of signals from fast radio bursts — ultra-bright millisecond flashes of radio waves. When passing through space, the signal stretches or "blurs". The degree of this distortion is directly proportional to the amount of matter through which the pulse has passed. The team measured the parameters of 2,870 signals recorded by the Canadian CHIME radio telescope and compared them with the coordinates of more than 6 million galaxies from the DESI survey.

According to the publication, the data obtained confirmed the hypothesis that ordinary matter is ejected from galaxies by powerful jets of black holes and supernova explosions. According to Wang, galaxies function like fountains, spewing gas over vast distances.

Astrophysicists have been trying for decades to locate baryonic matter—the protons and neutrons that make up stars, planets, and humans. After the Big Bang, it accounted for about 17% of the total mass of the universe, the rest was accounted for by invisible dark matter. However, the mass of all objects observed today is only about 10% of the estimated volume of baryons. The researchers believe that using the data from the CHIME telescope will allow even more accurate mapping of the distribution of this hidden substance in the future.

Scientists have created a "black hole" of light

Phys.org On July 8, he reported the discovery of a hidden jet of an intermediate-mass black hole. According to the publication, the event, initially named AT2019ijn, appeared as a bright blue flash in the optical range. During further observations, the astronomers found that the radio emission continued to increase for almost two years before a slow decline began, lasting at least four years.