Astronomy team finds evidence of galactic metal shrouded in dust

A thorough understanding of galaxy evolution depends in part on an accurate measurement of the abundance of metals in the intergalactic medium--the space between stars--but dust can impede observations in optical wavelengths. An international team of astronomers at the University of California, Irvine, Oxford University in England, and other institutions uncovered evidence of heavier elements in local galaxies--found to be deficient in earlier studies--by analyzing infrared data gathered during ...