I read @lemouth's blog on dark matter with great attention, but when it came to making a collage, I was stumped. There are things we know (or surmise from evidence) about dark matter. But there are no pictures of the thing itself. And there is uncertainty. Dark matter is still a theoretical entity. Given this theoretical aspect of dark matter, I tried to combine what I've read (from sources besides @lemouth's blog) with intuition. After all, this is an art/science project.
I started from two reference points. One is the Big Bang Theory and the other is the fact that from two dark matter particles, we may get cosmic and gamma rays.
The Big Bang
@lemouth has explained that black holes and dark matter "are different objects". There may be an exception, though, he explained: primordial black holes. Once you say the word primordial you have my attention. So I looked up some articles for clues to help me understand more about primordial black holes. This would help with my collage concept.
Primordial Black Hole Formation
Credit: European Space Agency. Used under CC 4.0 license.
According to Joshua Sokol, writing for Quantum Magazine, "a hidden population of such “primordial” black holes could conceivably constitute dark matter". Primordial black holes could have formed soon (that is, in the first second!!) after the Big Bang!
This is controversial, but it suited my collage so I pursued this line of thought. Primordial black holes are associated with the beginning of the universe. If primordial black holes constitute dark matter, then my collage makes sense. The beginning of the universe would then be associated with dark matter.
Here is a Youtube video that discusses the possibility that primordial black holes were created just after the beginning of the universe.
Gamma Rays and Cosmic Rays
There is another reason I focused on the theme of creation in my collage. As @lemouth explains in his blog, "Two dark matter particles..." can give "rise to cosmic ray and gamma ray signals". That struck me when I read it. Out of the invisible, out of the mysterious unknown, we get two entities--energy in the form of gamma rays and cosmic rays. Is that not a form of creation?
Gamma Ray Bursts, Milky Way
Image credit: NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. Used under public domain license.
In the image above, gamma ray "enigmatic excesses not predicted by the theoretical models" were captured, over a five-year period. These unexplained (unexpected) gamma ray burst are believed to track the presence of dark matter at the heart of the Milky Way. The gamma ray glow at the center of the Milky Way may be caused by annihilating dark matter. In other words, from dark matter annihilation we get a gamma ray glow--energy.
Please keep in mind as I write this, that the discussion about dark matter is still theoretical and there are disagreements about the 'proof'. For example, one group of researchers at the university of California, Irvine, published an article in 2020 with this heading: "Dark Matter Destruction Ruled Out As Origin of Extra Radiation in Milky Way’s Galactic Center".
Collage #2
I added this collage because I didn't use any LIL images in the first collage I created. I had so much trouble getting the impression down and tying it to the theory, that I simply could not add another element. However, the LMAC LIL Gallery is rich in images of all kinds. My second collage, posted below, is derived from the template image (@shaka and @lemouth) and from an image contributed to LIL by @quantumg, one of my esteemed LMAC colleagues.
Becoming: The Dynamic Interaction of Dark Matter in the Cosmos
I used a single (public domain) image from Wikimedia Commons for my primary collage.
Creation of the Sun, Moon and Planets (Sistine Chapel Ceiling), Michelangelo
Frank Vinc. Public domain
For two frames in the GIF I used a lightning filter from Lunapic. For the flashing sparks I used a shape that is available on Paint 3D. For blending the images I used GIMP.
Collage #2
I used the template photo (@shaka and @lemouth) and @quantumg's ring planet
I used another filter in Lunapic to blend these two images. I repeated that filter a few times to get the progressive effect, and used Gimp to create the frames.
LMAC and STEMsocial
The challenge this week was to be creative, and yet tether that creativity to a theme. It was a pleasure to be part of this effort.
LMAC and LIL
Every week we run a collage contest in the LMAC community, and we have available for all of Hive a library of images. These images can be used by anyone on Hive for any project. Everybody on Hive can contribute images to the gallery. It is a Hive-wide resource. Rules for the contest are here. Rules for the image gallery are here.
Discord: https://discord.gg/CEPZVdmYmf
STEMsocial
If this is the first time you've read a blog by @lemouth, you are missing out. If you're like me, you might have skipped high school physics. It's not too late to become literate in the subject. @lemouth writes a weekly blog. You can find his blog, and other outstanding science articles in the STEMsocial community.
Discord: https://discord.com/invite/9c7pKVD
Thank you!
I don't compete in the contest. I make collages for the creative enjoyment. What an adventure that was this week. What a challenge. Thank you @shaka and @lemouth for a mind-bending, mind-expanding experience.
Thanks for this pair of contributions to the contest.
I was really amazed by the fact that you use the conditional tense all along your discussions of the physics part of this blog. This is a very good thing to do here, as we do not have any certainty about any of the points risen. However, it is important to explore those possibilities, so that we could be ready in the case they are true.
Cheers!
PS: I have a (slight) preference for the second collage ^^
Thank you @lemouth for visiting. It has been an amazing contest. I never thought so many people would get into 'dark matter', but it seems to have really struck a chord. We all wonder at the universe and this contest invited us to dwell on that wonder.
It is the mystery of dark matter that is so attractive, I think. Humans like horizons. We are wanderers, adventurers. Why stop at earth? :)
BTW, my husband likes the first collage. They were both fun and an invitation to learn.
Hope you are not too busy with the contest and your teaching duties.
Take care.
I love both collages @agmoore
The first speaks to me of the idea you've touched upon of primordial Black holes being an integral part of the original 'big bang' creation of the universe. The inclusion of a god-like image flashing Gama rays like lightening bolts only strengths this theme.
And the 2nd collage speaks to me of the hidden nature - and still theoretical ideas - of dark matter. The analysis of the essay was awesome and allowed me to understand your inspiration and ideas perfectly (I hope 😂).
Great stuff 👍🎉
Thank you, @raj808. This was really hard, but in making the collage and doing the research I came to a better understanding of the subject. Both sides of my brain were operating and it gave me a headache :))
I appreciate your visit and your positive comment.
As expected, you have created again a wonderfully animated collage that illustrates the subject very well. This time in an interesting phylosophical way. An approach that I like very much, since I also believe in the divine hand to be in the first instance.
I have read your blog with great pleasure. Fascinating topic, isn't it? Just the fact that we can talk about a type of matter that no one has ever seen is fascinating.
Thank you for this interesting lesson!
Thank you @quantumg. Your positive assessment is very much appreciated. This collage exercise was different. Usually I turn off the rational me and let intuition be the guide. But this week, there was literally a collaboration between the rational and the intuitive. It was hard!! Fortunately, Michelangelo provided the bridge.
I hope your collage comes along and we get to see what that amazing brain/aesthetic produces.
Indeed, it was hard and challenging. And liked it because this round it was necessary to look and study more intensively into the topic than is usually the case when I create collages. It was such a winning situation.
It's already published since yesterday. But it was rather a brave act to publish it than an amazing aesthetic product. :-D
I love the fact that you put that much thought and research into the subject.
Science usually isn't concerned about the existance of a divine entity or the non-existance of such entity, as everything can be explained without the need for that (from a scientific point of view). However, the whole existance of the universe itself can be seen as divine if one to look at it that way.
I tend to turn off and on some aspects of my mind (like you mentioned) when I try to tackle different subjects, between the logical and scientific side of my brain and the other side that can be chaotic, artistic, and magical. (Running both at the same time, without leaning more to one side or the other at a time can be exhausting to say the least)
What I've experienced so far, is that it really is "the way you see it" or rather "think of it". The brain is a super powerful thing.
I love your concept in this collage, it's beautiful, and it certainly is creative and magical.
Thank you very much, @yaziris. You can probably see I am an obsessive person. The first night that I worked on the collage I wasn't feeling well but would not stop because the layers in the GIF refused to come together gracefully. And I couldn't do the collage without knowing more. So I read, and read.
Yes! I am new to visual art. I've always loved it but was afraid to try creating it. Collages have opened a new world for me, and have helped me develop a whole new set of neurocircuitry, I'm sure :))
So many wonderful images were submitted in response to the contest. Amazing.
Hope you are peaceful and well.
Regards
caramba @agmoore espectaculares collage combinando el arte y la ciencia eso es cierto las tormentas fue la primera prueba física de la materia oscura en cuanto su composición eso fue en el año 2009, se comprobó que cada descarga eléctrica o tormenta eléctrica liberar a través de los rayos gamma partículas y anti -partículas que van al espacio y forman la masa oscura que compacta todo los elementos existentes en el como estrellas , planetas y hoyos negros, porque tiene un efecto gravitacional es decir domina y regula la gravedad en el universo. Excelente collage saludos y suerte.
Hola @poderart,
This has been such an exciting week. The entries reflect a wide variety of perspective and creativity. I think we tapped into a vein with this round of LMAC/STEMsocial. The mystery of the universe is irresistible. I hope you look at all the entries. Mind boggling.
Thank you so much for your visit and for your analysis of my collage. It was hard to do, but as always, very satisfying.
Be well, and safe.
Regards,
You know that IC 1101 galaxy extends about 2 million light-years from its core, and has a mass of about 100 trillion stars. IT'S INCREDIBLE
I suggess to make college with black holes how do you find this idea?
It is incredible. As for making a contest that focuses on black holes, I leave those decisions to other people in the community. Perhaps they will respond positively to the suggestion.
Thank you for your interest and your feedback. Be well.
I occasionally watch videos of physics. Nice to read this kind of science religious post here on Hive.
Thank you. The concept of creation is something all people from all cultures grapple with. For scientists, philosophers and the religious, I think Michelangelo's painting on the
Sistine Chapel symbolizes an essential human concern.
I very much appreciate your visit and your kind comment.
Beautiful and interesting your collage of the creation, also the second one is great especially for the colors, I think it represents very well the gamma rays. Great job. This week has been very interesting and you are right, there are almost no images about this. I wonder how the world and everything we know about physics will change when we reach an accurate conclusion about dark matter. Greetings.
Thank you @doriangel, I really appreciate your kind words. That's what I going for in the second collage...the gamma glow :) Very nice that you noticed.
Wasn't this fun? Hard, but sometimes when something is hard it is more satisfying. I think a lot of us know more about the universe today than we knew a week ago. That is amazing.
Thank you for visiting and commenting so positively.
Be well and peaceful.
Both your collages are wonderful, A. G., especially the beautiful creation using the painting from the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Looking at it makes me wonder if the Big Guy up there didn’t say a mystical word to create the universe but maybe just pointed a sacred finger. 😃
Thanks for going into more detail on @lemouth’s interesting article. Dark matter, black holes, gamma rays and cosmic rays are a confusing mystery to most of us earthlings. 😆 💥
I hope your weather is improving and some sun is shining. Except for yesterday’s rain, we are having warmer temperatures this week.
Keep warm, stay safe. 💕