Discrepancies in Universe's Structure May Reveal New Physics: Hydrogen Signatures and Dark Matter Mapping

Discrepancies in Universe's Structure May Reveal New Physics: Hydrogen Signatures and Dark Matter Mapping
Image credit: Wikipedia 

Recent spectrogram analyses of hydrogen emissions have hinted at areas in the universe where new physics might be discovered. A team of physicists using a supercomputer has confirmed discrepancies between theoretical predictions and actual observations of the universe's structure. Their findings, which were published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, utilized PRIYA, a suite of simulations designed to refine cosmological parameters.

PRIYA Simulations and Spectrogram Analysis

The PRIYA simulations leverage optical light data from two surveys to determine constraints on the universe's measurements and evolution. By studying spectrograms, specifically the Lyman-Alpha forest, the team captured images of hydrogen emission lines. These spectrograms revealed dense crowds of absorption lines in spectra from quasars, which are extremely bright light sources in the universe. Spikes of missing frequencies in the spectrograms indicated interactions with atoms and molecules, particularly hydrogen.

Hydrogen and Dark Matter

"Each type of atom has a specific way of absorbing light, leaving a sort of signature in the spectrogram," explained Simeon Bird, a physicist at UC Riverside and co-author of the research. Hydrogen, being the most abundant element in the universe, plays a crucial role in this analysis. The Lyman-Alpha forest not only traces hydrogen but also helps in mapping dark matter’s distribution across the universe.

Hydrogen Signatures and Dark matter mapping 
Image credit: BBC

Dark Matter and Observational Data

Dark matter, constituting about 27% of the universe's content, is named for its elusive nature. Although it has never been directly observed, its presence is evident through gravitational effects. Instruments like the Euclid Space Telescope and the DM Radio project are gathering data to narrow down the potential mass range of particles that could be responsible for dark matter, such as WIMPs, axions, and hidden photons.

Theoretical Models and Observational Discrepancies

Mapping dark matter helps in assessing how well theoretical models align with observational data. The recent work with the Lyman-Alpha forest revealed the locations of dark matter. "Dark matter gravitates, so it has a gravitational potential," Bird stated. "The hydrogen gas falls into it, and you use it as a tracer of the dark matter."

The team uses their model not only to monitor dark matter concentrations but also to investigate discrepancies between observations and theoretical predictions of the universe's structure. Bird proposed two leading ideas to explain these discrepancies: either supermassive black holes at galaxy cores are affecting calculations, or new, undiscovered physics are in play.

Future Research and Data Collection

"If this holds up in later data sets, then it is much more likely to be a new particle or some new type of physics, rather than the black holes messing up our calculations," Bird said. More data is needed to resolve these mysteries, and fortunately, numerous observatories are currently operational or planned to collect this crucial information.