Astrophysicists from Hawaii's Keck Observatory have observed a protocluster of galaxies in the early Universe surrounded by
Simulation of the hot gas structure around a protocluster of galaxies. The yellow region of hot gas extends over several million light-years. Image: The THREE HUNDRED Collaboration
Current observations of COSTCO-I are consistent witha period when the universe was 11 billion years younger. This is the era of cosmic noon, when galaxies in the Universe were at the peak of active star formation. It is believed that during this period the galaxies were filled with relatively "cold" gas necessary for star formation - with a temperature of about 10,000 ° C.
Observations on COSTCO-I show that thisthe system appears to be ahead of its time. The gas surrounding this cluster of galaxies is heated to higher temperatures (from 100 thousand to 10 million °C), which corresponds to the conditions of the modern warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM). This is a rarefied plasma, which, according to cosmological theory, fills the space between galaxies.
Observed (top) and calculated (bottom)absorption of hydrogen from a protocluster of galaxies (marked with a star). The difference between the theoretical and real data can only be explained by the presence of a hot gas region. Image: Chenze Dong et al., The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Properties and Origins WHIM is one of the mostgreat mysteries of cosmological theory. The researchers believe that observing the first examples of such a state of matter in the early universe will help to learn more about such structures.
If we imagine a modern intergalacticenvironment as a giant space stew that boils and froths, then COSTCO-I is the first bubble that astronomers observed in an era in the distant past, when most of the cauldron was still cold.
Hi-Gan Lee, astrophysicist and study co-author
Read more:
2,700-year-old temple found in Sudan He surprised scientists
The oldest reference to the god Odin has been found. It "hid" in a golden treasure
Biochemists have identified the most likely substance that "launched" life on Earth