Scientists discover a "cosmic web" from 12 billion years ago—billions of dwarf galaxies now come into view.
2021-03-19
Scientists discover a "cosmic web" from 12 billion years ago, with billions of dwarf galaxies now coming to light.
According to a report from "Central News Agency" on the 18th, scientists used models to explore the appearance of the early universe about 12 billion years ago, revealing for the first time the "cosmic web"—a structure composed of luminous filaments of hydrogen gas. Moreover, they discovered that the glow of the cosmic web originates from billions of previously unobserved dwarf galaxies.
According to reports, the observed "cosmic web" is part of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, which remains the deepest region of the universe ever observed to date.
Scientists have long inferred the existence of a "cosmic web" through cosmological models, but until now, it had never been directly observed or captured in images. Most galaxies, including our own, were born along the filaments of this cosmic web.
These luminous filaments are the gas that gave rise to galaxies, existing only during the 1 to 2 billion years following the Big Bang. Now, thanks to eight months of observations made with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, combined with a year-long data-processing effort, the "cosmic web" has finally been revealed.
However, scientists say the biggest surprise isn’t the discovery of the "cosmic web" itself—but rather that simulations reveal the bright glow of the "cosmic web" originates from billions of previously invisible, undiscovered dwarf galaxies.
The relevant research findings were published in the journal *Astronomy & Astrophysics*, marking the first-ever observation of light emitted directly from the "cosmic web" itself.
Astronomers previously could only observe the local features of the "cosmic web" indirectly, through quasars. The quasars' intense radiation acts like car headlights, illuminating the gas clouds along their light paths. Yet, these regions do not represent the full picture of the cosmic network.
Due to the extremely faint brightness of these galaxies, current instruments cannot detect them independently—but their discovery could strengthen and challenge existing models of galaxy formation.
Researchers from France's Atomic Energy Commission, including Dadi, stated that this discovery is highly significant and crucial for understanding how galaxies form.
Translated from China Science and Technology Network
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Scientists discover a "cosmic web" from 12 billion years ago—billions of dwarf galaxies now come into view.
2021-03-19
Scientists discover a "cosmic web" from 12 billion years ago, with billions of dwarf galaxies now coming to light.
According to a report from "Central News Agency" on the 18th, scientists used models to explore the appearance of the early universe about 12 billion years ago, revealing for the first time the "cosmic web"—a structure composed of luminous filaments of hydrogen gas. Moreover, they discovered that the glow of the cosmic web originates from billions of previously unobserved dwarf galaxies.
According to reports, the observed "cosmic web" is part of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, which remains the deepest region of the universe ever observed to date.
Scientists have long inferred the existence of a "cosmic web" through cosmological models, but until now, it had never been directly observed or captured in images. Most galaxies, including our own, were born along the filaments of this cosmic web.
These luminous filaments are the gas that gave rise to galaxies, existing only during the 1 to 2 billion years following the Big Bang. Now, thanks to eight months of observations made with the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, combined with a year-long data-processing effort, the "cosmic web" has finally been revealed.
However, scientists say the biggest surprise isn’t the discovery of the "cosmic web" itself—but rather that simulations reveal the bright glow of the "cosmic web" originates from billions of previously invisible, undiscovered dwarf galaxies.
The relevant research findings were published in the journal *Astronomy & Astrophysics*, marking the first-ever observation of light emitted directly from the "cosmic web" itself.
Astronomers previously could only observe the local features of the "cosmic web" indirectly, through quasars. The quasars' intense radiation acts like car headlights, illuminating the gas clouds along their light paths. Yet, these regions do not represent the full picture of the cosmic network.
Due to the extremely faint brightness of these galaxies, current instruments cannot detect them independently—but their discovery could strengthen and challenge existing models of galaxy formation.
Researchers from France's Atomic Energy Commission, including Dadi, stated that this discovery is highly significant and crucial for understanding how galaxies form.
Translated from China Science and Technology Network
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