E N I G M A

Exploring the Nature of the Inter- and Circum-galactic Media

Research group led by Joseph F. Hennawi at UC Santa Barbara and Leiden Observatory.

Image Credit: Cen & Ostriker

There is no such thing as empty space. Indeed, the most barren regions of the Universe are the vast expanses between the galaxies, known as the intergalactic medium. Averaging just one lonely atom per cubic meter, this primordial gas left over from the Big Bang encodes fundamental information about our Universe’s history. Our group analyzes data from distant astronomical objects collected with the largest telescopes and most powerful instruments in the world. By comparing these observations to supercomputer simulations of cosmic evolution, we try to answer questions about the history of the Universe and shed light on how galaxies, and ultimately stars and planets, formed.