The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has unveiled unprecedented details of the Bullet Cluster, a pair of colliding galaxy clusters located 3.8 billion light-years away. Using its Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), JWST captured high-resolution images, providing a deeper understanding of dark matter and the dynamics of galaxy cluster collisions.
The Bullet Cluster's collision creates a shockwave and separates visible matter from dark matter. JWST's imaging allowed astronomers to map the mass distribution with unprecedented precision. This confirmed that intracluster light can trace dark matter in dynamic environments.
Published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the study, led by Sangjun Cha, used strong and weak lensing data to reconstruct the Bullet Cluster's mass distribution. The findings suggest a more complex merger history, indicating multiple collisions over billions of years. These advancements refine our understanding of dark matter's role in galaxy cluster formation.
JWST's observations continue to provide crucial data, enhancing our comprehension of the universe's fundamental structures. The telescope's capabilities are invaluable for exploring the cosmos.