Einstein rings suggest dark matter interacts with itself In the vast universe, galaxies with particularly high density are attracting the attention of astronomers.

JWST-ER1 is located more than 17 billion light-years from Earth and was discovered by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). There are clues to the mysterious nature of dark matter. What is an Einstein ring? When light from a distant source, such as a galaxy, approaches a very dense mass, such as another galaxy or galaxy cluster, the gravity of that mass acts like a lens, distorting the light’s trajectory. This phenomenon, predicted by Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity, is known as gravitational lensing. In the specific case of JWST-ER1, this gravitational lensing created a noticeable effect called Einstein’s rings. Such rings are created when the light source, gravitational lens, and observer are aligned very precisely. The light rays are then deflected around the intermediate mass and eventually meet on opposite sides, creating a circle of light. A galaxy that is denser than it looks By assessing the degree of space-time distortion caused by JWST-ER1g, researchers estimated that the galaxy has a mass of about 650 billion solar masses, making it one of the largest galaxies. High density for its size. By subtracting the mass of visible stars from this total estimate, physicists were able to quantify the contribution of dark matter to the galaxy’s composition. Calculations show that this could fill about half of the observed mass gap, indicating that another mass source may be needed to fully explain the observed gravitational lensing results.

Several hypotheses (some of which are related to dark matter) Researchers have proposed several ideas to explain the nature of this extra mass. One possibility is that the JWST-ER1g galaxy has a higher density of stars than previously thought. If so, this could contribute to some of the observed mass missing. Another scenario being considered is that normal matter (gas and stars) contracts and condenses within JWST-ER1g’s dark matter halo. This contraction increases the density of matter within the galaxy, which may contribute to the observed mass gap. This compression can occur at a variety of scales, from local regions of star formation to larger galactic structures such as spiral arms or active galactic nuclei. Finally, our bolder hypothesis concerns the actual nature of dark matter. Researchers are considering the possibility of creating autonomous processes that interact with themselves and influence the density and distribution of the galaxy as a whole. This interaction could potentially explain the observed mass discrepancy and other interesting features of JWST-ER1g. By combining additional observations with computer simulations and advanced theoretical models, the researchers hope to uncover the origin of this additional mass and better understand JWST-ER1g’s complex dynamics. These detailed studies could not only clarify our understanding of dark matter and galaxy formation, but also open new perspectives on the fundamental physics of the universe.

source: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ad394b