Newly Discovered 'Einstein's Cross' Reveals Existence of Giant Dark Matter Halo
a day ago
- #astronomy
- #dark-matter
- #gravitational-lensing
- Einstein’s general theory of relativity explains how light bends around massive objects like galaxies, causing gravitational lensing.
- Gravitational lensing can brighten, magnify, and distort light from distant objects, sometimes splitting it into multiple images, known as an 'Einstein’s cross.'
- A new Einstein’s cross was observed by ALMA, originating from galaxy HerS-3, 11.6 billion light-years away, lensed by four galaxies 7.8 billion light-years away.
- HerS-3 is a starburst galaxy with a rotating disk and gas outflow, magnified by the lensing effect for detailed study.
- The observed mass of the lensing galaxies was insufficient to explain the Einstein’s cross, suggesting the presence of a massive dark matter halo.
- The dark matter halo’s mass is estimated to be several trillion times that of the Sun, influencing the lensing effect.
- This discovery provides a unique opportunity to study dark matter’s role in early galaxy formation.