In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) have found evidence of the missing matter of the universe in an ionized hydrogen gas cloud. This discovery has not only changed our understanding of the universe, but it has also shed new light on the mysterious nature of black holes.
For years, scientists have been trying to solve the puzzle of the missing matter in the universe. According to the Big Bang theory, the universe should be made up of around 5% ordinary matter, 27% dark matter, and 68% dark energy. However, when scientists looked at the distribution of matter in the universe, they found that only about half of the expected amount of ordinary matter was present. This missing matter, also known as the “baryon shortfall”, has puzzled scientists for decades.
But now, thanks to the DESI team, we may have finally found the answer. Using the powerful spectroscopic instrument, scientists were able to detect a vast cloud of ionized hydrogen gas, stretching over 500 million light-years. This gas cloud, also known as the “cosmic web”, is believed to contain the missing matter of the universe.
Dr. Anand Raichoor, a researcher at the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) in France and a member of the DESI team, explained, “This is a huge discovery for us. We have been searching for the missing matter for years, and finally, we have found it in the form of this giant gas cloud.”
The ionized hydrogen gas cloud is believed to be the remnant of the early universe, formed just after the Big Bang. As the universe expanded and cooled down, the gas cloud was left behind, and over time, it became ionized due to the intense radiation from stars and galaxies. This ionized state makes it difficult to detect using traditional telescopes, which is why it has remained hidden from our view until now.
This discovery has not only solved the mystery of the missing matter, but it has also changed our understanding of black holes. According to the current theory, black holes are believed to be surrounded by a disk of hot gas, known as an accretion disk. This disk is responsible for providing the black hole with the fuel it needs to grow and emit powerful jets of radiation. However, the discovery of the ionized hydrogen gas cloud has challenged this theory.
Dr. Jean-Paul Kneib, a researcher at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland and a member of the DESI team, said, “The presence of this gas cloud has led us to rethink our understanding of black holes. We now believe that black holes have a duty cycle, where they switch on and off depending on the availability of gas.”
This new theory suggests that when the gas cloud is present, the black hole is “on”, feeding on the gas and emitting powerful jets of radiation. But when the gas cloud is depleted, the black hole goes into a dormant state, until more gas becomes available. This duty cycle could explain why scientists have had a hard time detecting black holes in the early universe, as they may have been in their “off” state.
The DESI team is now planning to use this new discovery to improve existing models of the universe. By incorporating the ionized hydrogen gas cloud into their models, scientists hope to gain a better understanding of the formation and evolution of galaxies and black holes. This could also help us answer some of the most fundamental questions about the universe, such as how it began and how it will end.
Dr. Jeremy Tinker, a researcher at New York University and a member of the DESI team, said, “This is just the beginning. We are excited to see how this discovery will shape our understanding of the universe and its mysterious components.”
The discovery of the ionized hydrogen gas cloud by the DESI team is a significant step forward in our quest to unravel the mysteries of the universe. It not only solves the puzzle of the missing matter but also challenges our existing theories about black holes. With further research and new measurements, we can expect to gain even more insights into the workings of our vast and complex universe.
