Unveiling Dark Matter's Clumps: Insights from Einstein's General Relativity
Astronomers have used gravitational lensing, a concept from Einstein's general relativity theory, to map the distribution of dark matter in unprecedented detail. By observing light from a distant quasar using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), researchers were able to capture a galaxy with higher resolution and map its dark matter down to a scale of 30,000 light-years. They also discovered dark matter "clumps" between galaxies, confirming the cold dark matter model of the universe. Dark matter, which makes up about 85% of the universe, is invisible and does not interact with electromagnetic radiation.