Intergalactic dust

Intergalactic dust consists of microscopic solid particles dispersed between galaxies. It absorbs and scatters light and contributes to the matter and chemistry of the intergalactic medium.

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Intergalactic extinction: The dimming of distant sources caused by dust between galaxies absorbing or scattering their light. It describes the direct observational effect of intergalactic dust on distant galaxies.
Supernova: A stellar explosion that ejects newly synthesized elements and surrounding material into space. Supernovae produce dust and drive some grains out of galaxies.
Type Ia supernova: A thermonuclear explosion of a white dwarf used as a standardizable candle in astronomy. Intergalactic extinction could bias their measured brightness and inferred distances.
Metallicity: The abundance of elements heavier than helium in an astronomical object or region. Intergalactic metals constrain how much solid material could have formed and escaped galaxies.
Dust scattering: The redirection of electromagnetic radiation by particles whose sizes are comparable to or smaller than its wavelength. Scattering removes light from direct sightlines and can redistribute it into diffuse halos.
Galactic wind: A large-scale outflow of gas from a galaxy, driven by stellar activity or a central black hole. These outflows can carry grains from galaxies into surrounding intergalactic space.
Cosmic distance ladder: A sequence of calibrated methods used to measure distances across the universe. Unrecognized dust dimming can propagate into errors in calibrated cosmic distances.
Cosmic dust budget: An accounting of dust production, destruction, and storage across cosmic environments and time. Intergalactic dust is a poorly constrained reservoir in the cosmic total.
Cosmic infrared background: The diffuse infrared radiation produced by the integrated emission of sources throughout cosmic history. Dust absorbs starlight and reradiates its energy in the infrared.
Ram-pressure stripping: The removal of gas from a galaxy as it moves through the hot gas of a galaxy cluster. Stripped galactic material can include dust that becomes dispersed between galaxies.