From a fossil remnant dating back to the Big Bang, scientists have discovered the oldest dark matter ever found.
Researchers from Nagoya University, Japan, have recently uncovered dark matter surrounding galaxies that existed approximately 12 billion years ago. This discovery is considered significant, as it may decode the formation and development of the mysterious substance that dominates our universe.
Dark matter is described as not emitting or reflecting enough electromagnetic radiation.
In astrophysics, the term “dark matter” refers to a hypothetical type of matter in the universe that has undetermined components. Dark matter is characterized by its inability to emit or reflect sufficient electromagnetic radiation to be observed by telescopes or current measuring devices, but it can be detected due to its gravitational effects on solid matter and other objects, as well as on the universe as a whole.
Based on current understanding of galaxy structures and widely accepted theories about the Big Bang, scientists believe that dark matter is a fundamental component that makes up about 70% of the matter in the universe (which is divided into dark matter and ordinary matter).
Since light takes a finite amount of time to travel from distant objects to Earth, what astronomers see is merely a “projection” of galaxies, which have actually moved away from that position long ago. For centuries, we have sought a “formula” to look back at the universe’s formation billions of years ago.
However, observing dark matter is even more complex, as it does not interact and respond to light in the same way that ordinary matter, made from protons and neutrons, does.
To “see” dark matter, astronomers must rely on its interaction with gravitational forces. Nevertheless, this technique still has limitations, making it challenging to map the distribution of dark matter in galaxies that are about 8 to 10 billion years old.
Results from the new study even indicate that dark matter in the early universe is less “clumpy” than predicted by many previous models. This could change scientists’ entire understanding of how galaxies evolve, and it suggests that the fundamental rules governing the universe 13.7 billion years ago could have been very different.
“Although we cannot confirm this yet, if it is true, the entire model of the universe could be flawed as we attempt to look back in time,” said Professor Masami Ouchi from the University of Tokyo.
The research team’s findings were published on August 1 in the journal Physical Review Letters.
