As of: February 16, 2024, 10:42 a.m
By: Tanja Banner
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The German X-ray telescope eROSITA has delivered spectacular images of our Milky Way.
© dpa/MPE/IKI |
MPE/IKI
The eROSITA space telescope provides a lot of data about the universe.
They help resolve a discrepancy in cosmology.
Garching – The universe is huge and incredibly complex.
Research has found this again and again - for example when it comes to the question of how quickly the universe is expanding.
There are two different measurement options that produce different results – the “Hubble voltage”.
How is matter distributed in the universe?
eROSITA can resolve “S8 voltage”.
A similar phenomenon also exists when it comes to the question of how matter is distributed in the cosmos and how clumped it is.
The so-called S8 parameter can be measured or predicted using the Standard Model of cosmology.
To do this, the model is adjusted so that it corresponds to the cosmic microwave background (CMB), radiation left over from the Big Bang.
However, this is where the problems begin: the value is different depending on how it is determined.
It could indicate new physics if this “S8 voltage” cannot be resolved.
More precise information about the universe can help.
Two weeks ago, the first data from the German space telescope eROSITA was published.
It surveyed the sky completely for the first time and collected huge amounts of data for research.
eROSITA observes X-rays emitted by hot gas in galaxy clusters and can thus precisely measure the total amount of matter in the universe and its clumping.
And indeed: the new data eliminates the discrepancies, as stated in a statement from the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE).
Space telescope resolves cosmic tension – “Will make theorists very sad”
“eROSITA tells us that the universe has behaved as expected throughout cosmic history,” explains Vittorio Ghirardini, who is responsible for the cosmological study.
“There are no tensions with the CMB – maybe the cosmologists can relax a little now.” The researcher was even clearer to
Science
: “This will make many theorists very sad.
They want to find something new, but the theory works well.” The study was published on the preprint server ArXiv and submitted for publication in a specialist journal.
Esra Bulbul, who leads the eROSITA galaxy clusters and cosmology team, emphasizes: “The cosmic parameters we measure from galaxy clusters agree with the most modern CMB data and show that the same cosmological model has existed from shortly after the Big Bang to the present day applies."
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Research analyzes space data from eROSITA
The vast amounts of data that eROSITA has collected are being further analyzed by researchers.
“We could be on the verge of a new discovery,” says Emmanuel Artis in the MPE announcement about his line of research.
“If this can be confirmed, eROSITA will pave the way for new exciting theories beyond general relativity.”
The researchers are “excited about the exciting further discoveries that will deepen our understanding of the origins and evolution of our universe,” says Bulbul and continues: “Once the complete data is evaluated, eROSITA will subject our cosmological models to the most rigorous test possible has ever been conducted with a survey of galaxy clusters.”
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