Astrophysicists have made a groundbreaking discovery by tracing powerful radio signals back to their host galaxies near the beginning of time, pinpointing where the Universe’s missing matter is hiding. The “missing baryon problem” has puzzled scientists for decades, with only half of the normal matter in the Universe accounted for.
Researchers found that three-quarters of the missing matter is floating between galaxies in the cosmic web, a vast network of space that stretches across the Universe. This discovery was made possible by studying fast radio bursts (FRBs), which are incredibly powerful but brief radio waves that originate from distant galaxies.
By analyzing 60 FRBs, scientists were able to detect tiny amounts of normal matter in the space between galaxies, making up around 76% of the total matter. The remaining 15% is found in dark matter haloes surrounding galaxies and galaxy clusters. This breakthrough resolves the long-standing mystery of where half of the Universe’s matter went.
“It’s a triumph of modern astronomy,” says astronomer Vikram Ravi of Caltech. “We’re beginning to see the Universe’s structure and composition in a whole new light, thanks to FRBs.” The discovery sheds light on how the Universe evolved over its 13.8 billion-year lifespan, leaving scientists eager to explore further and uncover the secrets of how the missing matter got there.
The research has been published in Nature Astronomy, providing a significant advancement in our understanding of the Universe’s composition and structure.
Source: https://www.sciencealert.com/fast-radio-bursts-reveal-where-the-universes-missing-matter-is-hiding