Credit: https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/images/176699main_image_feature_827_ys_full.jpg
Astronomers have used gravitational lensing to create a map of the distribution of dark matter in the early universe, according to a recent study. The researchers analyzed a sample of 450 galaxy clusters from when the universe was only 3 to 7 billion years old to produce the map, which suggests that the distribution of dark matter was more clumpy and uneven than previously thought.
Gravitational lensing occurs when the gravitational field of a massive object, such as a galaxy cluster, bends and magnifies the light from more distant objects behind it. By studying this lensing effect, astronomers can map the distribution of matter in the foreground object.
The new map could help provide insights into the nature of dark matter, which is a mysterious substance that makes up about 85% of the matter in the universe but does not interact with light, making it invisible to telescopes. Previous observations of the cosmic microwave background radiation have shown that dark matter was evenly distributed in the early universe. However, this new study suggests that the distribution was much more clumpy, which could help refine our understanding of the properties of dark matter.
Overall, the study provides new insights into the distribution of dark matter in the early universe and could help shed light on one of the biggest mysteries in modern astrophysics.
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