Astronomers Close to Solving Mystery of Largest Galaxies in the Universe
A recent study conducted by astronomers has progressed towards resolving a long-standing mystery regarding the formation of the universe’s largest galaxies. The research is led by Dr Annagrazia Puglisi from the University of Southampton. Additionally, it is in collaboration with global experts, & sheds light on how colossal elliptical galaxies, distinct in their shape compared to our flat Milky Way, originated.
Astronomers say they are close to solving an intergalactic mystery about the creation of the largest galaxies in the universe, which has puzzled experts for decades. In addition, scientists have discovered the birth sites of gigantic elliptical galaxies. This finding not only contributes to our understanding of galaxy formation but also sheds light on the processes that led to their growth and evolution.
They claim this offers new clues about how they were formed. The creation of these ancient galaxies, which look like bulging footballs compared to our flat disk-like Milky Way, remains a mystery to astrophysicists. However, recent research may shed light on this intriguing puzzle.
But now academics from the University of Southampton, working with experts across the world, say their new study may finally unravel the enigma.
According to Dr Puglisi, the prevalent theory suggests that massive flows of cold gas and frequent collisions between disk galaxies during the early universe were critical. These events were critical in forming the largest galaxies in the Universe. As two disk galaxies collide, they funnel gas – a vital component for star formation – toward their centers. This leads to an incredible surge in stellar production.
Two disk galaxies smashing together caused gas – the fuel from which stars are formed – to sink towards their centre, generating trillions of new stars, said Dr Annagrazia Puglisi from Southampton.
The study is published in Nature. It was a collaboration between Southampton, the Purple Mountain Observatory in China and the Chinese Academy of Science, among others.
Experts analyzed more than 100 star-forming galaxies in the distant universe. They used the world’s largest radio telescope, known as ALMA, located in Chile’s Atacama desert. The scientists made the discovery using a new technique. Specifically, this technique looked at the distribution of light emitted by distant and highly-luminous galaxies. According to study lead Dr. Qing-Hua Tan from the Purple Mountain Observatory, this innovative approach was instrumental in their findings.
Moreover, the findings indicate that spheroid galaxy formation occurs directly through intense bursts of star formation at galactic cores. In this regard, the evidence opens new pathways for understanding how these gigantic systems, specifically the largest galaxies in the Universe, formed rapidly, as explained by Dr. Qing-Hua Tan.
Additionally, current explorations employ archival data from the A3COSMOS and A3GOODSS projects, which enhance the quality of observations for distant galaxies. Thus, these advancements contribute significantly to our understanding of galactic formation and evolution.. Connecting these observations with future insights from JWST (James Webb Space Telescope) and Euclid satellites will further enrich our comprehension of stellar components within these primeval galaxies. Moreover, these collaborations will offer a deeper understanding of the early universe’s evolution.
Ultimately, Dr Puglisi asserts that a more comprehensive understanding of early galaxy formation will deepen our appreciation. This understanding will deepen our appreciation for the evolution of the universe since its inception. For further details on this groundbreaking research, you may read the full article published in Nature.
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References
University of Southampton. (2024, December 6). Astronomers close to solving mystery of how universe’s giant galaxies formed. Retrieved from https://www.southampton.ac.uk/news/2024/12/astronomers-close-to-solving-mystery-of-how-universes-giant-galaxies-formed.page
Journal Reference-
Qing-Hua Tan, Emanuele Daddi, Benjamin Magnelli, Camila A. Correa, Frédéric Bournaud, Sylvia Adscheid, Shao-Bo Zhang, David Elbaz, Carlos Gómez-Guijarro, Boris S. Kalita, Daizhong Liu, Zhaoxuan Liu, Jérôme Pety, Annagrazia Puglisi, Eva Schinnerer, John D. Silverman, Francesco Valentino. In situ spheroid formation in distant submillimetre-bright galaxies. Nature, 2024; 636 (8041): 69 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08201-6
