Researchers Create "Cosmic CT Scan" Revealing Unexpected Complexity of the Universe

Scientists have unveiled a groundbreaking study revealing a detailed evolution of the cosmos, utilizing data from two distinct astronomical surveys. By combining images from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, researchers developed what they call a "cosmic CT scan" that provides new insights into how matter has clumped together throughout the universe's 13.8 billion-year history.

"The process is like a cosmic CT scan, allowing us to track how gravity has influenced matter over billions of years," said Mathew Madhavacheril of the University of Pennsylvania, one of the co-leaders of the research team. The study highlights how the universe has become increasingly complicated, moving away from initial expectations of a more clumpy structure.

To construct this innovative cosmic imaging, scientists studied light remnants from the early universe, known as the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), likening it to the universe's "baby picture." This ancient light, which has traveled since shortly after the Big Bang, allows researchers to observe changes in the universe as it matured.

The findings revealed a slight discrepancy in the calculated clumpiness of matter that doesn't align with theoretical predictions. While this discrepancy isn't large enough to indicate new physics, it suggests that the growth of the universe's structure may have slowed in ways previously not understood.

The research team plans to continue this line of inquiry using more advanced telescopes in an effort to gain further clarity regarding the universe's complex evolution. Their research was published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics on December 10, 2024.