Astronomers have recently provided concrete evidence of a cosmic structure known as the “space web,” a network of thin filaments that serve as a framework for galaxies. Using observations from a pair of ancient quasars, located over 11 billion light-years away, researchers detected a faint hydrogen filament connecting the two. This was made possible by employing advanced telescopes and instruments, including multi-unit spectroscopic probes, allowing scientists to trace the filament over three million light-years.
This discovery confirms predictions of cold dark matter theory, which states that galaxies grow by drawing in gas through these web-like structures rather than simply consuming isolated clouds. The research highlights the importance of these filaments in supplying raw materials for star formation and shaping galaxies.
The international team, led by Milan Bicocca University and the Max Planck Institute, captured high-resolution images of the filament, revealing gradients in gas brightness that matched simulations from supercomputers. This aligning of observations with theoretical models enhances our understanding of dark matter and galaxy evolution.
The study emphasizes the significance of these newly observed structures and the need for further exploration to uncover more filaments and their role in the cosmic web, bolstering our comprehension of the universe’s invisible architecture.
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