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Computer Model Points To the Missing Matter

Posted by kdawson on from the on-a-whim dept.

eldavojohn writes "There exists a little-known problem of missing regular matter that has perhaps been overshadowed by the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy. Computer models show that there should be about 40% more regular matter than we see... so where is it? From the article: 'The study indicated a significant portion of the gas is in the filaments — which connect galaxy clusters — hidden from direct observation in enormous gas clouds in intergalactic space known as the Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium, or WHIM, said CU-Boulder Professor Jack Burns... The team performed one of the largest cosmological supercomputer simulations ever, cramming 2.5 percent of the visible universe inside a computer to model a region more than 1.5 billion light-years across.' This hypothesis will be investigated and hopefully proved/disproved when telescopes are completed in Chile and the Antarctic. The paper will be up for review in this week's edition of the the Astrophysical Journal."

6 of 97 comments (clear)

  1. Bad name. by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 4, Funny

    Warm-Hot Intergalactic Matter? WHIM? The WHIM Hypothesis? I mean, it just SOUNDS like he made it up on whim!

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    1. Re:Bad name. by networkBoy · · Score: 4, Funny
      It's all moot anyway:

      cramming 2.5 percent of the visible universe inside a computer In other news the computer coalesced into a black hole and devoured the solar system, Al Gore included. It then spit out his belt. News at 11.
      -nB
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  2. Packing Penuts by jameskojiro · · Score: 3, Funny

    The missing matter is in those Packing peanuts that the scientist's equipment was shipped with.

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  3. IBM = Incredibly Big Machine by butterwise · · Score: 3, Funny

    cramming 2.5 percent of the visible universe inside a computer
    That is one big-ass computer.
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    1. Re:IBM = Incredibly Big Machine by jddj · · Score: 3, Funny

      All you need is a suitable improbability generator - say, a nice hot cup of tea - and a piece of fairy cake...

  4. The answer is obvious! by greg_barton · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...there should be about 40% more regular matter than we see... so where is it?

    Behind you...