Astronomers from the University of Hawaiʻi have made a groundbreaking discovery, identifying an immense bubble located 820 million light years away from Earth. This structure, known as Hoʻoleilana, is believed to be a fossil-like remnant from the birth of the universe and offers valuable insights into galaxy evolution and the dynamics of the universe’s expansion.
The bubble was unexpectedly found by astronomer Brent Tully and his team from the UH Institute for Astronomy within a network of galaxies. It has been given the name “Hoʻoleilana,” a term derived from the Kumulipo, a Hawaiian creation chant symbolizing the origin of structure.
The discovery of Hoʻoleilana is significant as it supports the predictions of the Big Bang theory. According to the theory, massive structures like Hoʻoleilana are formed as a result of 3D ripples in the material of the early universe, known as Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO).
The diameter of Hoʻoleilana is one billion light years, which is larger than expected, challenging current theoretical expectations. If the formation and evolution of Hoʻoleilana align with theory, it implies a higher value for the expansion rate of the universe.
The bubble was located using data from Cosmicflows-4, the largest compilation of precise distances to galaxies to date. Tully and his team believe that this is the first time astronomers have identified an individual structure associated with a BAO. The discovery could contribute to scientists’ understanding of galaxy evolution.
During the first 400,000 years after the Big Bang, the universe was a hot plasma similar to the inside of the Sun. During this period, regions with slightly higher density collapsed under gravity while the intense radiation pushed matter apart, causing the plasma to ripple and spread outward. These ripples created vast three-dimensional structures where galaxies formed.
Daniel Pomarede, a researcher from CEA Paris-Saclay University in France, stated that the process of mapping Hoʻoleilana in three dimensions provides insight into its composition and relationship with its surroundings. The shell structure of Hoʻoleilana is made up of elements that were previously identified as some of the largest structures in the universe.
Hoʻoleilana is larger than anticipated based on the standard model of cosmology, and previous statistical studies of galaxy separations. Its size aligns with observations of the local expansion rate of the universe and hints at potential problems with the standard model.
Further research and analysis of Hoʻoleilana will likely provide valuable information regarding the evolution of galaxies and the mysteries of the universe’s expansion. The findings of this groundbreaking discovery were published in The Astrophysical Journal on September 5, 2023.
Reference: “Ho’oleilana: An Individual Baryon Acoustic Oscillation?” by R. Brent Tully, Cullan Howlett and Daniel Pomarede, September 5, 2023, The Astrophysical Journal. DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/aceaf3