The tool highlights that existing theories do not provide adequate explanations

Jan 23, 2014 16:08 GMT  ·  By
Caltech's FIRE model reveals that only 10 percent of the regular mass in the Universe is centralized in stars located at the cores of their galaxies
   Caltech's FIRE model reveals that only 10 percent of the regular mass in the Universe is centralized in stars located at the cores of their galaxies

Most existing models dealing with how the Universe works predict that most matter has to be accumulated within stars located at the cores of their respective parent galaxies. According to a new model developed by researchers at the California Institute of Technology, in Pasadena, that is false. 

The research suggests that stars in the central regions of their parent galaxies only account for around 10 percent of regular baryonic matter (excluding dark matter) in the Universe. This finding leads to a significant discrepancy between theoretical models and what is observed in reality.

The team behind the Feedback in Realistic Environments (FIRE) project suggests that one possible explanation for this difference may be the fact that individual stars within galaxies release massive amounts of energy, which then go out to distribute matter irregularly, and unpredictably, through the Universe.

“When stars form, they should have a dramatic impact on the galaxies in which they arise, through the radiation they emit, the winds they blow off of their surfaces, and their explosions as supernovae,” proposes Caltech Assistant Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics, Phillip Hopkins.

Details of this study appear in the November 8, 2013 issue of the esteemed journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.