Stellar Remnants May Explain Missing Mass in Galaxy Clusters
A new study published on Phys.org suggests that stellar remnants, including white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes left behind after stars die, could explain the discrepancy between the observed and expected mass in galaxy clusters. This so-called "missing mass" problem has been a persistent mystery in astrophysics.
Galaxy clusters are the largest gravitationally bound structures in the universe, and their total mass has consistently appeared higher than what can be accounted for by visible matter alone. While dark matter explains much of this gap, there remains an additional shortfall that has puzzled researchers. The new research proposes that an underestimated population of stellar remnants could fill this gap.
If confirmed, the findings would refine our understanding of the matter budget in galaxy clusters and improve models of cosmic structure formation. The work highlights the importance of accounting for all forms of baryonic matter when studying the universe's large-scale structure.
Galaxy clusters are the largest gravitationally bound structures in the universe, and their total mass has consistently appeared higher than what can be accounted for by visible matter alone. While dark matter explains much of this gap, there remains an additional shortfall that has puzzled researchers. The new research proposes that an underestimated population of stellar remnants could fill this gap.
If confirmed, the findings would refine our understanding of the matter budget in galaxy clusters and improve models of cosmic structure formation. The work highlights the importance of accounting for all forms of baryonic matter when studying the universe's large-scale structure.