Astrophysicists searching for
mysterious unseen matter believed to hold together the largest cosmic
structures in the universe will discuss the clues that they have
uncovered at a conference Dec. 11-13 at The University of Alabama in
Huntsville (UAH).
The meeting, “Soft X-Ray Emissions From Clusters of Galaxies and Related
Phenomena,” will be at the Tom Bevill Conference Center on the UAH
campus. Additional information, including the scientific program, is
available on-line at: http://www.uah.edu/news/ClusterGalaxies/
“This event is prompted by the wealth of exciting data from several
powerful satellite missions currently in orbit,” said UAH’s Dr. Richard
Lieu, the conference committee chair.
Expected highlights include the first session on Wednesday, Dec. 11,
when scientists from the Netherlands and the U.S. will present data from
recent observations that confirm the presence of vast clouds of
previously unseen “missing mass” filling intergalactic space.
Other topics that will be addressed during the conference include the
use of a thermometer technique that accurately measures the temperature
in clouds of x-ray emitting gas found on the outskirts of galaxy
clusters, and the possible existence of gaseous filaments connecting
galaxies and clusters of galaxies.
Reporters interested in covering the conference should register in
advance by contacting Phillip Gentry by e-mail at gentryp@uah.edu or by
telephone at (256) 824-6420.
