Researchers have created the largest ever map of dark matter, invisible material thought to account for 80 per cent of the total matter of the universe. Co-lead author Dr Niall Jeffrey, of UCL’s physics and astronomy department, said: “Most of the matter in the universe is dark matter. “In our map, which mainly shows dark matter, we see a similar pattern as we do with visible matter only, a web-like structure with dense clumps of matter separated by large empty voids. Dark matter, like dark energy, remains mysterious, but its existence is inferred from galaxies behaving in unpredicted ways – for instance, the fact that galaxies stay clustered together, and that galaxies within clusters move faster than expected. Densest regionsCo-author Prof Ofer Lahav, also of UCL and chairman of the DES UK consortium, said: “Visible galaxies form in the densest regions of dark matter.

Source: The Irish Times May 27, 2021 20:19 UTC