Researchers Map Skies To Find Concentration Of Dark Matter In Cosmos

In the year 2013, a team of researchers set out to use the world's most powerful digital camera (a 570-megapixel imaging device) to create maps of the dark matter in our cosmos. In their quest to unravel the deepest & darkest mysteries in our universe, the team at University of Pennsylvania along with the researchers from 25 different universities came together under a project named 'Dark Energy Survey' that is going to span a 5 year long period. Recently, Penn researchers released the first series of maps showing concentration of dark matter in the cosmos. It is being said that these are the world's largest contiguous maps created at this level of detail. Not only will the information from these maps help scientists understand the role of dark matter in formation of galaxies, but vital information about the accelerating expansion of the universe may come to light.

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The Dark Energy Survey Camera features 62 charged-coupled devices,
recording 570 megapixels per shot.​

The most sensitive astronomical instruments are incapable of seeing the dark matter as it does not emit or block light. Therefore, a technique called 'gravitational lensing' is used to study the distortion that occurs when the gravitational pull of dark matter bends light emitted by distant galaxies. The new maps have been constructed by measuring the hardly visible distortions in the shapes of roughly 2 million galaxies. Using DES observations, so far the team has been able to cover 3% of the area that it hopes to document on the 5 year long mission.

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Gary Bernstein, the Reese W. Flower Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics
and Bhuvnesh Jain, Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Penn​

Within 2 years of beginning their research work, the team has come a long way and as they march forward by comparing the amount of visible and dark matter, they hope to better test the current cosmological theories. Some of these theories suggest that galaxies will be formed where there is stronger gravitational pull i.e. places of large concentrations of dark matter. The DES analysis have resulted in the Dark Matter maps that show large filaments of matter along which visible galaxies and galaxy clusters are found and cosmic voids where very few galaxies exist.

Over the coming months, the data generated from the survey project and the team's study of the enormous filaments and voids will reveal more details about the interplay of mass and light. The Penn researchers assure that their analysis so far, matches the existing predictions about the universe. With a closer look at the maps, measurements about how dark matter envelops different galaxies and how together they evolve over cosmic time are being taken.

The Pennsylvania University scientists are eager to use the new data to conduct stricter testing of the existing theoretical models.

What are your thoughts on dark matter and theories of the universe? Share with us in comments below.

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