Astrophysicists have created a map of cosmic rivers

A group of scientists from the Leibniz Institute of Astrophysics in Potsdam (Germany) has created a detailed map of the local universe. It is based on data on the movement of 56,000 galaxies and invisible dark matter.

According to Sci News, the new map shows the distribution of matter in the local universe, that is, it demonstrates exactly how it flows, and along which trajectories 56,000 galaxies move.

"Mapping the universe has always been one of the most difficult tasks in astronomy," says lead author of the study, Aurelien Valad. "Observation errors and incomplete data make this work extremely difficult."

In addition, the scientist continues, the observed galaxies make up only a small part of the total mass of the Universe. Most of its mass, as is commonly believed, consists of dark matter, invisible to the ordinary eye. However, physical evidence of its existence has not yet been obtained with the help of devices.

"Moreover, galaxies do not necessarily form in such a way as to accurately track the underlying matter, which makes them an inaccurate indicator of the distribution of matter in the universe," Valad continues. - Therefore, to create a map of our cosmic environment, we analyzed the movement of galaxies. On the one hand, they are moving away from us as the universe expands, but on the other hand, they are also attracted to each other due to gravity."

It is precisely such movements that astrophysicists have managed to record in the framework of a new study. These movements were then mapped. Moreover, scientists have managed to identify cosmic currents - as it turned out, there are analogues of our rivers in space, along which galaxies actually float.

"Because motion is caused by gravity, it can be used to see the invisible," says Valad. - Measurements of the velocity of each galaxy are error-prone and rather uncertain, so there are various possible cosmographic maps. But we have developed a new approach: a "probabilistic" map of the universe."

Such a map shows how likely it is that a certain object, for example, the "area of attraction", really exists. As the researchers specify, the "region of attraction" is the area that, if not for cosmic expansion, would have shrunk to a single point.

Source: SCIENCE