Dark matter

Over the last 4 months I have been collaborating with Dr. Rita Tojeiro to explore dark matter. Dr. Tojeiro is a cosmologist and reader at St. Andrews University, we began this project with a shared interest in visualising things that were impossible to see.

Dark matter makes up the vast majority of our universe, it passes through us undetected, yet its presence can be discerned by observations of distant galaxies. Dr. Rita Tojeiro was part of one of the largest surveys of galaxies, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. A telescope fitted with aluminium plates with hundreds of holes drilled in the position of each galaxy and fitted with optical fibres was used to create the most detailed 3D map of the universe so far. Dr. Tojeiro lent one of these plates to me as we began conversations around dark matter.

From these conversations and exchange of data i began to create a sculptural and photographic exploration of dark matter. Using similar methodologies as the scientists studying dark matter, I started with code to turn groups of galaxies into a mathematical pattern called a Voronoi diagram. This is a group of cells, each representing the distance closest to each galaxy. This code helped identify concentrations of galaxies, and hence concentrations of dark matter.

The code can be seen here:
https://voronoi-halo.alistairmcclymont.com/

This website will output Voronoi diagrams from galaxy position data. This Voronoi diagram was then turned into paper forms, which were inflated and hardened with resin. A two dimensional diagram was inflated into three dimensional areas, each Voronoi cell representing the halo of dark matter that surrounds every galaxy. The paper forms were inflated through a hole on the underside, cut out in the exact position of the galaxy within the cell. That hole is mirrored on the top-side with a single pencil circle.

Every Voronoi form was then imaged using a cyanotype photogram process, where the prepared paper was exposed to light with the form resting on top, the image often revealing the hole representing the galaxy. The cyanotype process was chosen due to its strong connection to cosmology, it was invented by the astronomer John Herschel (son of William Herschel who along with his sister Caroline discovered and mapped 2400 galaxies).