Found: 90% of the distant Universe

[harry_pothead]

Source: Discover

This is fascinating news: 90% of the distant Universe was thought to be missing, but it was recently found. And what’s weird is, it was found to be in the red. Quite literally.

First, a bit of background. Galaxies are filled with hydrogen gas, and that gas is a major component of the clouds that collapse to form stars. When that happens, the hot stars ionize the gas: the flood of ultraviolet light strips the electron away from the proton, freeing both. If the electron gets near the proton again, they can recombine. Because of quantum mechanics, the electron can only exists in certain energy states, which are a bit like steps in a staircase. You can jump from the third step down to the second, but there is no second-and-a-halfth step.

So it is with electrons. It used to be taught that this levels were like orbits, but that’s not a great analogy; the staircase is better. So if the electron is on the second level and drops to the first, it gives off energy in the form of light (just like when you step down you lose a bit of energy too, and it takes energy to go up a step). For the 2 to 1 step in hydrogen, the photon emitted is in the ultraviolet, and has a special name: Lyman alpha.

Ionized hydrogen gas clouds tend to blast out lots of Lyman alpha. This makes it a good way to search for distant star forming regions; just look for that wonderful wavelength of light associated with the 2 – 1 transition of hydrogen.

Read more: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/03/24/found-90-of-the-distant-universe/

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I love cosmology. It's fascinating as all hell.

[tridim]

1. So basically, if the Hubble could see these galaxies, the famous deep field image..

would be 90% more dense with galaxies than it appears now. Yowzers!

I agree that cosmology is amazing, thinking about it every so often keeps the brain limber.

[1620rock]

2. Fascinating stuff! Thanks for posting.

[Robb]

3. I'd wondered where I'd put that.

Thanks. Now, off to find my keys....


(K&R :D )

[Peace Patriot]

4. Thanks for posting! Fabulous discovery! Mind-boggling! nt

[aquart]

5. Find me a planet where they write good science fiction.

it has to be out there.

[FarLeftFist]

6. Electrons, of course!

[MUAD_DIB]

7. Early galaxies that are there but can't be seen. Nice cloaking device.

[rhett o rick]

8. I was right with you up until "This is fascinating news..." nm

[villager]

9. And to think it's all only 6,000 years old!

;-)

[anarch]

10. so, infinity just got a little bit bigger

or, our galaxy just got a little bit smaller?


it is a Great Mystery.

[mindwalker_i]

11. I thought my pocket felt heavy

It's one thing to carry the world on your shoulders, quite another to drag 90% of the universe around.

[Odin2005]

12. Bwa! So simple, they must be feeling like idiots for not realizing that earlier!

[Ysabel]

13. ah ha i figured they'd eventually find it...

i thought before that they must be missing something (besides that part of the universe) heh / anyway i'm glad they figured it out...

[Kablooie]

14. You BELIEVE this science stuff? Stupid! Smart people believe a 5000 year old book instead.