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ClamShell
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I guess dark matter is the most abundant
matter. But which contributes next to the
most, intersteller dust or suns?
matter. But which contributes next to the
most, intersteller dust or suns?
Mostly intergalactic dust, actually. This is especially the case for galaxy clusters, where there is something like ten times as much mass in the cluster gas as there is in stars.ClamShell said:I guess dark matter is the most abundant
matter. But which contributes next to the
most, intersteller dust or suns?
Chalnoth said:Mostly intergalactic dust, actually. This is especially the case for galaxy clusters, where there is something like ten times as much mass in the cluster gas as there is in stars.
I'm not entirely sure what the breakdown is for individual galaxies outside of clusters, though.
phyzguy said:I think you're confusing the terminology. In astrophysics parlance, "dust" refers to elements heavier than helium. Most of the baryon mass of a galaxy or a cluster is in interstellar or intergalactic gas, not dust. I don't have exact figures, but I think for a large galactic cluster, the numbers are roughly dark matter about 80%, baryons about 20%, and the baryons break down about 95% gas, 2% dust and 2% stars, so the total would be about 80% dark matter, 18% gas, 1% dust and 1% stars.
phyzguy said:The supernovae seem to stir things up pretty good, so the data says the elemental abundances are pretty uniform. Attached is a good paper on this. In the solar neighborhood, this paper says that the interstellar medium is 71.5% H, 27.1% He, and 1.4% everything else, with O and C being the most abundant elements heavier then He.
ClamShell said:Does the big bang theory account for any of the dust?
Dark matter is a hypothetical type of matter that is thought to make up about 85% of the total matter in the universe. It does not emit or absorb light, making it invisible to telescopes, and its existence is inferred from its gravitational effects on visible matter.
Dark matter is believed to make up a significant portion of the matter in the universe, including the matter that makes up dust and suns. Understanding the abundance and distribution of dark matter can help us better understand the structure and evolution of galaxies.
Studying dark matter is important because it can help us understand the fundamental nature of the universe. It can also provide insights into the formation and evolution of galaxies, as well as the large-scale structure of the universe.
Scientists study dark matter through various methods, including gravitational lensing, observations of galaxy rotation curves, and simulations of the universe. They also search for indirect evidence of dark matter in experiments such as the Large Hadron Collider.
If a high abundance of dark matter is found in space, it could provide further evidence for the existence of dark matter and possibly lead to a better understanding of its properties. It could also have implications for our understanding of the universe and its formation.