Cosmic Dawn

Images developed by scientists at Durham University's Cosmology Institute represent the 'cosmic dawn' - the formation of the first galaxies in the universe.

Cosmic dawn begins when galaxies are formed from debris of large stars, exploding shortly after the universe was formed. Durham's calculations predict where these galaxies form and their development today, more than 13 billion years later. The researchers hope that their findings, emphasizing the star-forming galaxies, will improve their understanding of dark matter - a mysterious substance thought to form 80% of the mass. the amount of the universe.

Gravity formed from dark matter is an essential element in galaxy formation and by studying its impact scientists can learn more about the nature of this matter.

Scientists use computers to simulate the occurrence of the Universe 500 million years after the Big Bang explosion (Photo: University of Durham).

The study is published in the monthly notice of the Royal Astronomical Society and funded by the Science and Technology Council (STFC) and the European Commission. The study incorporates large-scale simulations that show how the structures developed in dark matter and a model that exhibits normal matter, such as gas and activity, predict the development of the galaxy.The gas is affected by the gravity of dark matter and heated up before releasing radiation and turning into stars.

Simulation images show which galaxies make the most powerful stars at a given time. Although galaxies are larger at the present time, the rate at which they form stars has decreased significantly when compared to the rate of star formation at the beginning of the Universe.

The Durham team's calculations, with the support of scientists at the University of Catolica, Santiago, Chile, can be examined based on observations back to the early stages in the history of the universe, roughly 1 billion years after Big Bang.

The main author, Alvaro Orsi, a graduate student at Durham University's School of Computational Cosmology (ICC), said: 'We are looking back on the past and we hope to learn more about it. our galaxies are like galaxies, as well as having new knowledge about dark matter '.

The presence of dark matter is the key to building galaxies - without it we will not be able to exist today. '

"Our research predicts which galaxies are growing through star formation at times ," said co-author Dr. Carlton Baugh, a researcher from the Royal Society of ICC at Durham University. Differences in the history of the universe and how these galaxies relate to dark matter '.

'We entered into the computer what we thought was the recipe for galaxy formation and we observed the results and compared them to real galaxy observations'.

Professor Keith Mason, president of the science and technology council, said: 'Computing cosmology plays an important role in our understanding of the Universe. Such simulations not only allow us to look back at the universe's past but complement astronomers 'studies and observations.'