Missing Baryons Found
TNRTB Archive – Retained for reference information
A North American team of astronomers has confirmed strong evidence for both the anthropic principle (that the universe manifests fine-tuned design parameters for the support of humanity) and for consistency of the biblically predicted big bang creation model. The strong evidence consists of accurate measurements of the three components of the universe; namely that 73 percent of the universe is made up of dark energy, 23 percent is exotic dark matter, and 4.5 percent is ordinary matter. For ordinary matter (protons, neutrons, and electrons) astronomers possess several different accurate measurements of the total amount but have been able to identify the location of only about 60 percent of the total. Using the Chandra and Newton x-ray telescopes, the team found that the missing 40 percent resides as very hot gas in the intergalactic medium. Identifying the form and finding the location of the missing 40 percent boosts astronomers’ confidence in the consistency of the big bang creation model and confirms the extraordinary fine-tuning of the cosmic density parameters for the benefit of life.
- Fabrizio Nicastro et al., “The Mass of the Missing Baryons in the X-Ray Forest of the Warm-Hot Intergalactic Medium,” Nature 433 (2005): 495-98.
- https://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v433/n7025/abs/03245_fs.html
- J. Michael Shull, “Hot Pursuit of Missing Matter,” Nature 433 (2005): 465-66.
- https://www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v433/n7025/doi:10.1038/433465a
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