Missing Matter Found: Deep Space Radio Signals Explained
- Scientists have accounted for nearly all of the universe's missing regular matter, also known as baryonic matter, by using fast radio bursts (FRBs).
- Baryonic matter, which includes protons and neutrons, makes up only about 5% of the universe.
- Researchers tracked 69 FRBs to illuminate the intergalactic medium.
Scientists have finally located the “missing matter” of the universe, resolving a significant astrophysics puzzle. Fast radio bursts (FRBs), originating from beyond the Milky Way, acted as cosmic flashlights, enabling researchers to map the location of baryonic matter, which constitutes the regular matter of the universe. this groundbreaking discovery, detailed in Nature Astronomy, reveals that a considerable portion of this crucial baryonic matter resides within the intergalactic medium.using FRBs, astronomers could weigh this intergalactic “fog.” This news is brought to you by News Directory 3. The study’s findings offer key insights into the distribution of matter, which has been a topic of great debate in the astrophysics world. discover what’s next in the ongoing inquiry of the cosmos.
Fast Radio Bursts Help Locate Universe’s Missing Matter
Updated June 17, 2025
Scientists have accounted for nearly all of the universe’s missing regular matter, also known as baryonic matter, by using fast radio bursts (FRBs). A study published in Nature astronomy indicates that these short, powerful flashes originating from beyond the Milky Way have allowed researchers to map the location of this previously unaccounted-for matter.
Baryonic matter, which includes protons and neutrons, makes up only about 5% of the universe. Dark matter accounts for 27%, and dark energy comprises the rest. Though, observations have consistently fallen short of the amount of baryonic matter expected from the Big Bang.
Researchers tracked 69 FRBs to illuminate the intergalactic medium. By measuring how the radio waves slowed down as they passed through this “fog,” they could determine the density and location of the missing matter.
“the FRBs shine through the fog of the intergalactic medium, and by precisely measuring how the light slows down, we can weigh that fog, even when it’s too faint to see,” Liam Connor, an astronomer at Harvard University and study co-author, said in a statement.
The study revealed that approximately 76% of the universe’s regular matter resides in the intergalactic medium, while another 15% is found in galaxy halos. The remaining portion comprises stars, planets, and gases within galaxies.
(Image credit: Jack Madden, IllustrisTNG, Ralf Konietzka, Liam Connor/CfA)
“It’s like we’re seeing the shadow of all the baryons, with FRBs as the backlight,” said Vikram Ravi, an astronomer at Caltech and another co-author.”If you see a person in front of you, you can find out a lot about them. But if you just see their shadow, you still know that they’re there and roughly how big they are.”
Nicolás tejos, an astronomer at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso, who was not involved in the research, told Science magazine that the missing baryon problem is essentially solved. He added that FRBs have allowed scientists to close the baryon budget.
What’s next
Future research will utilize the Deep Synoptic Array-2000, a proposed network of radio telescopes, to detect thousands of new FRBs annually. This will enable scientists to further investigate the distribution and characteristics of baryonic matter throughout the universe.