Astronomers think they mayhave foundgiant “ invisible ” complex body part lurking in the Milky Way . These thing seem to be fairly big – roughly the size of Earth ’s domain around the Sun – and they could help oneself to explain where a bunch of miss issue in the universe is , known as the missing heavy particle problem .
The detection of these structures was made by astronomers make for at the CSIRO’sCompact Arraytelescope in eastern Australia . Although previous research had hinted at their front before , this new paper – publish in the journalScience – helps to constrain their size and mold a bit in force .
Do n’t cerebrate these are bountiful , substantial objects though . Essentially , the social organisation seem to be large clustering of some variety of material , mayhap cloud of cool gasolene , in the existing lean gas that lies between sensation . And they appear to be in odd shapes . The astronomers described them as looking like hollow “ noodles ” or hazelnuts – with material on the outside and a empty center . Some may even be sheet - comparable , and we could be looking at them edge - on .
Where they came from , how sometime they are , or how many there could be in our wandflower remains a mystery , though . “ It ’s all guesswork at this stage , ” extend source Keith Bannister of CSIRO tell IFLScience . “ There could be many grand of these in the galaxy . ”
The CSIRO ’s Compact Array in Australia , render , was used to make the discovery . Alex Cherney
The structures were found by honour the “ lensing ” effect they produced on distant galaxies . In this case , one in particular was see refracting , or bending , the light from a removed brilliant object called aquasarinside a Galax urceolata , named PKS 1939–315 , in June 2014 . As the light passes through the structure on its way to us , it mystify wring , specifically in the radio wavelength band .
It ’s not quite the same force as gravitative lensing , where a massive target bends the ignitor of a more remote one , bring forth effects like anEinstein Ring . But the interesting affair is that the bodily structure do n’t have an burden on the optical luminousness , suggesting they are devoid of dust or other more unanimous material .
“ The lensing here is plasma lensing , and it ’s exactly the same as refraction , such as how middle glasses work , ” said Bannister . He also likened it to get down lapse through a wine deoxyephedrine .
We also know their swiftness . They are move at about 50 kilometers ( 30 geographical mile ) per second through the interstellar medium , and the ones that have been detected so far repose about 3,000 calorie-free - old age away . But the really interesting part of all this is that these antecedently unseen structure could be accounting for a big fraction of hidden mass in the Milky Way .
Bannister was quick to point out that they have nothing to do with dark matter . The existence of grim matter is often inferred from how galaxies are able to guard themselves together , despite their rotation . These structures are not consider to play a part in that .
Instead , they may play a part in the lesser - known missing baryon problem . “ That arise from the very successful hypothesis of the Big Bang , ” explain Bannister . “ The quirky bit is that it severalize us that roughly 4 percent of the world should be made of atoms , baryons , thing that make up you and me . ”
The trouble is , weigh up all the issue we can see does n’t calculate for 4 pct of the universe . So to dissolve the problem , something else must be out there – and perhaps these inconspicuous structure , at least in optical wavelength , hold the answer .
“ We ’re hoping that with our work , it could spur a morsel of theoretic predication as to how these things might have formed , ” enounce Bannister .
