Clusters of galaxies often have C of members packed together in a comparatively minuscule region of the universe . But even in the dark region between these galaxies , the intracluster space , there is a faint glow . This is produce by wanderingstarsthat do n’t belong to any beetleweed . How they have there is a mystery – but new Hubble observations seem to have pointed out something very important .
Possibilities for the origin of these sensation usually see unagitated or red interactions between galax . uniting can sure flip stars into wider orbital cavity or even kick them out of the last galaxy on the whole . Alternatively , they could have been pulled out of a extragalactic nebula due togravitationalinteraction over time .
However , observations from Hubble of 10 dissimilar bunch at different ages of the Universe show that the amount of intracluster light let loose has not change much in the last 10 billion years . Those stars have been ramble without boniface galaxy for a very long time .
" This means that these stars were already roofless in the early stages of the cluster ’s formation , " co - generator James Jee of Yonsei University in Seoul , South Korea , said in astatement . " We do n’t exactly know what made them homeless . Current hypothesis can not explain our results , but somehow they were produced in large quantities in the early population . In their other formative years , galaxies might have been pretty little and they bled stars pretty easily because of a weaker gravitational grasp . "
If the maven were ripped from their beetleweed due to merger , they would n’t have time to scatter across the whole cluster . If it was due to even baring , the amount of twinkle should be increasing over time , not stay the same . It ’s potential they were already in spot billion of class ago and not many were added to them over clip .
" If we reckon out the origin of intracluster hotshot , it will help us understand the assembly chronicle of an entire galaxy cluster , and they can serve as visible tracer of dark matter enveloping the cluster , " append Hyungjin Joo of Yonsei University , the first writer of the paper .
Intracluster brightness level is another approach to studying the distribution ofdark subject . This is a hypothetical marrow that bear galaxies together in a sure shape but it is invisible . By using the dispersion of this light , one can line where dark matter is . Future studies might also employ JWST , which has recentlydemonstrated its capabilitiesat observing intracluster light .
These findings were published in the journalNature .
