Cosmic crash reveals new clues into dark matter 'scaffolding' that holds universe together

[Ichingcarpenter]

Cosmic crash reveals new clues into dark matter 'scaffolding' that holds universe together


A spectacular intergalactic collision has revealed new clues about one of the mysteries of the universe, scientists say.



The blues and pinks of this 'giant cosmic car crash', as astronomers have dubbed it, provide fresh evidence for the existence of so-called dark matter.


The snapshot of galaxy clusters smashing into one another, captured with powerful telescopes, also gives new clues about the properties of this enigmatic substance.


The pink in the picture indicates ordinary matter - mostly hot gas - and the blue area is believed to show the presence of dark matter.
The cluster is made up of hundreds of galaxies, and is about half way across the universe - 5.7 billion light years away.

The intergalactic smash happened about 100 million years ago.
Astronomer Richard Massey, from the University of Edinburgh, said life would not have come into being without this matter so any new clues are a step forward in researching the make-up of the universe.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1101848/Cosmic-crash-reveals-new-clues-dark-matter-scaffolding-holds-universe-together.html

[On the Road]

1. It Takes Awhile to Key on the Clues The Headline Promises?

Apparently it's this:

As the two clusters merged at millions of miles an hour, the picture indicates the hot gas collided and slowed down, researchers said. But the dark matter did not, they believe, shown by the wider spread of blue.

I suppose this is taken to mean that dark matter is composed of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) on the theory that normal matter reacted and slowed down but the dark stuff kept going.

You could ask how they know which direction the gas is moving, but it would make sense that gravity would be drawing the matter together.

[Ichingcarpenter]

2. The Ying and Yang of Matter and Dark Matter

disturbs me, in that it is not a tri-dimensional equation in nature.

Dark Matter, Anti Matter, and Matter. I see a three dimensional equation
that must put these three questions and contradictions into form
in order to complete the matter question.....


Let alone grAVITY which I think we will find has many of the same
attributes as Matter.