Latest news with #IsabelSantos-Santos
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
What astronomers recently discovered about space using supercomputers
There could be many more satellite galaxies orbiting the Milky Way than previously thought or observed, according to astronomers. As many as 100 undiscovered galaxies that are too faint to be seen could be surrounding the galaxy that houses Earth and the solar system, new research has found. MORE: Webb telescope discovers stars forming in 'toe beans' of Cat's Paw Nebula Cosmologists at Durham University in England made the discovery using a new technique that combines the highest-resolution supercomputer simulations in existence with mathematical modeling, they announced at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting in Durham on Friday. The supercomputer predicted the existence of missing "orphan" galaxies -- suggesting that up to 100 or more satellite galaxies are orbiting the Milky Way at close distances. "We know the Milky Way has some 60 confirmed companion satellite galaxies, but we think there should be dozens more of these faint galaxies orbiting around the Milky Way at close distances," said Isabel Santos-Santos, the lead researcher at Durham University's Institute for Computational Cosmology, in a statement. If the galaxies are seen by telescopes, it could provide strong support for the theory on Lambda Cold Dark Matter -- the standard model of cosmology that explains the large-scale structure how galaxies form, the researchers said. The model suggests that galaxies form in the center of "gigantic" clumps of dark matter called halos and hypothesizes that ordinary matter in the form of atoms represents only 5% of the Universe's total content, while 25% is cold dark matter, and the remaining 70% is dark energy. MORE: Astronomers spot 'interstellar object' speeding through solar system Most of the galaxies in the Universe are satellite low-mass dwarf galaxies that orbit around a more massive galaxy, such as the Milky Way, according to astronomers. The existence of these galaxies poses challenges to LCDM because the model suggests the presence of many more companion galaxies than previous simulations have produced, the researchers said. But the new technique allowed the scientists to track the abundance, distribution and properties of the orphan galaxies. The model provides "clear illustration" of the power of physics and mathematics, Carlos Frenk, a co-researcher at the Institute for Computational Cosmology, said in a statement. "Using the laws of physics, solved using a large supercomputer, and mathematical modelling we can make precise predictions that astronomers, equipped with new, powerful telescopes, can test," Frenk said. "It doesn't get much better than this." Existing cosmological simulations do not have the resolution needed to study the faint satellite galaxies, the experts said. They also lack the precision needed to study the evolution of the small dark matter halos that host the dwarf galaxies, which leads to the artificial disruption of some halos, according to the researchers. "If our predictions are right, it adds more weight to the Lambda Cold Dark Matter theory of the formation and evolution of structure in the Universe," Santos-Santos said. MORE: How astronomers used gravitational lensing to discover 44 new stars in distant galaxy New advances in telescopes and instruments could eventually give astronomers the ability to detect the faint objects through viewing. "One day soon we may be able to see these 'missing' galaxies, which would be hugely exciting and could tell us more about how the Universe came to be as we see it today," Santos-Santos said.
4 days ago
- Science
100 undiscovered galaxies could be orbiting the Milky Way, according to new research
There could be many more satellite galaxies orbiting the Milky Way than previously thought or observed, according to astronomers. As many as 100 undiscovered galaxies that are too faint to be seen could be surrounding the galaxy that houses Earth and the solar system, new research has found. Cosmologists at Durham University in England made the discovery using a new technique that combines the highest-resolution supercomputer simulations in existence with mathematical modeling, they announced at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting in Durham on Friday. The supercomputer predicted the existence of missing "orphan" galaxies -- suggesting that up to 100 or more satellite galaxies are orbiting the Milky Way at close distances. "We know the Milky Way has some 60 confirmed companion satellite galaxies, but we think there should be dozens more of these faint galaxies orbiting around the Milky Way at close distances," said Isabel Santos-Santos, the lead researcher at Durham University's Institute for Computational Cosmology, in a statement. If the galaxies are seen by telescopes, it could provide strong support for the theory on Lambda Cold Dark Matter -- the standard model of cosmology that explains the large-scale structure how galaxies form, the researchers said. The model suggests that galaxies form in the center of "gigantic" clumps of dark matter called halos and hypothesizes that ordinary matter in the form of atoms represents only 5% of the Universe's total content, while 25% is cold dark matter, and the remaining 70% is dark energy. Most of the galaxies in the Universe are satellite low-mass dwarf galaxies that orbit around a more massive galaxy, such as the Milky Way, according to astronomers. The existence of these galaxies poses challenges to LCDM because the model suggests the presence of many more companion galaxies than previous simulations have produced, the researchers said. But the new technique allowed the scientists to track the abundance, distribution and properties of the orphan galaxies. The model provides "clear illustration" of the power of physics and mathematics, Carlos Frenk, a co-researcher at the Institute for Computational Cosmology, said in a statement. "Using the laws of physics, solved using a large supercomputer, and mathematical modelling we can make precise predictions that astronomers, equipped with new, powerful telescopes, can test," Frenk said. "It doesn't get much better than this." Existing cosmological simulations do not have the resolution needed to study the faint satellite galaxies, the experts said. They also lack the precision needed to study the evolution of the small dark matter halos that host the dwarf galaxies, which leads to the artificial disruption of some halos, according to the researchers. "If our predictions are right, it adds more weight to the Lambda Cold Dark Matter theory of the formation and evolution of structure in the Universe," Santos-Santos said. New advances in telescopes and instruments could eventually give astronomers the ability to detect the faint objects through viewing. "One day soon we may be able to see these 'missing' galaxies, which would be hugely exciting and could tell us more about how the Universe came to be as we see it today," Santos-Santos said.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Durham scientists discover more galaxies in Milky Way than previously thought
The Milky Way could be home to more galaxies than initially believed, scientists at Durham University have discovered. Research by cosmologists at the university suggests there are 80, or possibly even 100, more satellite galaxies orbiting our galaxy at close distances. They made this prediction using a new technique that combines high-resolution supercomputer simulations and novel mathematical modelling. If observed by telescopes, the extra galaxies could provide strong support for the Lambda Cold Dark Matter (LCDM) theory, which explains how galaxies form and the large-scale structure of the universe. Dr Isabel Santos-Santos, lead researcher at the Institute for Computational Cosmology, Department of Physics, Durham University, said: "We know the Milky Way has some 60 confirmed companion satellite galaxies, but we think there should be dozens more of these faint galaxies orbiting around the Milky Way at close distances." Research will be presented at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting, held at Durham University. (Image: Durham University) The Durham-led research is based on the LCDM model, where ordinary matter represents only five per cent of the universe's total content, 25 per cent is cold dark matter (CDM), and the remaining 70 per cent is dark energy. In this model, galaxies form in the centre of large clumps of dark matter called halos. The research shows the Milky Way's missing satellites are extremely faint galaxies, stripped almost entirely of their parent dark matter halos by the gravity of the Milky Way's halo. These so-called "orphan" galaxies are lost in most simulations, but should have survived in the real universe. Dr Santos-Santos added: "One day soon we may be able to see these 'missing' galaxies, which would be hugely exciting and could tell us more about how the universe came to be as we see it today." The researchers believe that advances in telescopes and instruments like the Rubin Observatory LSST camera, which recently saw its first light, will allow astronomers to detect these very faint objects for the first time. Their results showed that halos of dark matter, which may host a satellite galaxy, have been orbiting around the central Milky Way halo for most of the age of the universe. This has led to the stripping of their dark matter and stellar mass, rendering them extremely small and faint. As a result, the research predicts that the total number of satellite galaxies likely to exist around the Milky Way is around 80, or potentially up to 100 more than currently known. Professor Carlos Frenk, co-researcher at the Institute for Computational Cosmology, Department of Physics, Durham University, said: "If the population of very faint satellites that we are predicting is discovered with new data, it would be a remarkable success of the LCDM theory of galaxy formation. 'Pure joy': School officially recognised for its top-notch play facilities Pub in 'Idyllic' village on edge of stunning national park hits market for £495,000 Newton Aycliffe man's cause of death emerges as inquest opened into bike crash death "It would also provide a clear illustration of the power of physics and mathematics. "It doesn't get much better than this." The research is funded by the European Research Council and the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).
