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Hot Intergalactic Gas Animations
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Animation of Absorption by Intergalactic Gas
QuickTime
MPEG
In this animation, X-rays from a distant quasar traveling toward Earth and the Chandra X-ray Observatory are shown as waves of colored light. As they pass through a cloud of intergalactic gas, which
appears as the white, filamentary structure, some of the X-rays are absorbed. Chandra can measure the amount of dimming in the X-rays due to oxygen ions in the cloud. This allows astronomers to
estimate the temperature, density, and mass of the absorbing gas, which is part of an intergalactic web of hot gas and dark matter that contains most of the material in the universe.
[Runtime: 0:19]
Animation: CXC/A.Hobart
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Animation of Rivers of Gravity
QuickTime
MPEG
Over the course of billions of years, dark matter and gas collapse to produce vast channels in the geometry of space. This animation illustrates how this process resembles erosion patterns created by
rivers. Most galaxies and galaxy clusters lie at the junction of these channels, whereas the hot gas lies like a fog over the dark matter in the entire channel system.
[Run time = 0:32 sec]
Animation: CXC/D.Berry
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Illustration of Absorption of X-rays
by Intergalactic Gas
QuickTime
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High Res (2.6
MB)
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Low Res (1
MB)
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MPEG (900 k)
- Illustration of Absorption of X-rays
by Intergalactic Gas This sequence begins with an illustration
of X-rays from a distant quasar traveling through clouds of clouds
of intergalactic gas and being partially absorbed. The inset shows
how oxygen ions in the clouds produce dips in the spectrum, or
X-ray energy signature, of the quasar PKS 2155-304. A careful
study of these dips enables astronomers to estimate the temperature,
density, and mass of the absorbing gas.
[Runtime: 0:23]
Credit: Illustration:
CXC/A. Hobart, Spectrum: NASA/CXC/T.Fang et
al.
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Intergalactic Gas (13 Jul 02)
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