The studies carried out on the basis of data from the Kilo Degree Survey telescope really amazed scientists – the analysis revealed a previously unknown property of the distribution of dark matter in the Universe.
One of the biggest mysteries of science is dark matter, which makes up most of the universe. Dark matter is not visible to human eyes and telescopes for one simple reason – it does not absorb, reflect, or emit light, making it extremely difficult to detect. However, due to its gravitational properties of affecting the ordinary matter of stars and galaxies, scientists are aware of its existence.
Some theories imply that clumps of dark matter have formed over time, and its distribution in outer space is not uniform. It is believed that invisible dark matter is denser at the centers of galaxies than at their outer edges. However, recent research contradicts this theory.
The international team of astronomers who studied the data of the Kilo Degree Survey had to analyze about 15 million distant galaxies and find out how the gravitational influence of dark matter affects the light coming from them.
The study covers a vast swath of the sky, covering an area containing millions of galaxies. This is the largest total area of the sky represented by improved imaging technology to date, giving researchers the ability to make one of the most accurate measurements of what is known as cosmic shift (distortion of images of distant galaxies due to gravitational lensing of large structures in the Universe, the most powerful a tool for understanding the nature of dark matter).
The analysis showed something that scientists could not have previously imagined. It turned out that dark matter is less dense and more evenly distributed throughout outer space, which contradicts existing theories.
