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28.7: Key Terms

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    66769
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    cold dark matter
    slow-moving massive particles, not yet identified, that don’t absorb, emit, or reflect light or other electromagnetic radiation
    cosmological principle
    the assumption that, on the large scale, the universe at any given time is the same everywhere—isotropic and homogeneous
    dark energy
    an energy that is causing the expansion of the universe to accelerate; the source of this energy is not yet understood
    evolution (of galaxies)
    changes in individual galaxies over cosmic time, inferred by observing snapshots of many different galaxies at different times in their lives
    galactic cannibalism
    a process by which a larger galaxy strips material from or completely swallows a smaller one
    homogeneous
    having a consistent and even distribution of matter that is the same everywhere
    hot dark matter
    massive particles, not yet identified, that don’t absorb, emit, or reflect light or other electromagnetic radiation; hot dark matter is faster-moving material than cold dark matter
    isotropic
    the same in all directions
    Local Group
    a small cluster of galaxies to which our Galaxy belongs
    merger
    a collision between galaxies (of roughly comparable size) that combine to form a single new structure
    starburst
    a galaxy or merger of multiple galaxies that turns gas into stars much faster than usual
    supercluster
    a large region of space (more than 100 million light-years across) where groups and clusters of galaxies are more concentrated; a cluster of clusters of galaxies
    void
    a region between clusters and superclusters of galaxies that appears relatively empty of galaxies

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