The study suggests that these galaxies were formed from large flows of cold gas and collisions between galaxies in the early universe, which led to the formation of stars at an extremely fast rate
Researchers have identified the formation sites of massive elliptical galaxies, providing new insights into their formation, which has been a scientific puzzle for decades.
The study suggests that these galaxies were formed from large flows of cold gas and collisions between galaxies in the early universe, which led to the formation of stars at an extremely fast rate.
Insights into the formation of ancient galaxies
Astronomers are getting closer to solving a long-standing galactic mystery, concerning the formation of the largest galaxies in the universe - a puzzle that has troubled experts for decades.
The researchers were able to identify the formation sites of massive elliptical galaxies, while providing a new look at how these cosmic giants are formed.
Unlike the flat shape of our Milky Way, these ancient galaxies have a shape reminiscent of a protruding football. Despite decades of research, their origins remain unknown.
Now, an international team led by the University of Southampton may have found the answer.
Dr. Angrazia Puglisi, one of the authors of the study, suggests that these giant galaxies were probably formed from massive flows of cold gas and collisions between galaxies in the early universe.
According to her: "Two colliding disk galaxies caused the gas - which is the fuel for creating stars - to sink towards their center, and thus trillions of new stars were formed." She added that these cosmic collisions occurred about 8 to 12 billion years ago, when the universe was at a much more active stage of its development. Our findings bring us closer to solving a long-standing mystery in astronomy, which will change our understanding of how galaxies formed in the early universe."
Advances in Galactic Observations
The research, published in the journal Nature, was a collaboration between the University of Southampton, the Purple Mountain Observatory in China, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The experts analyzed over 100 star-forming galaxies in the distant universe using the world's largest radio telescope ALMA, located in the Atacama Desert in Chile.
According to lead researcher Dr. Ching-Hua Tan of the Purple Mountain Observatory
"This is the first time direct evidence is presented that spheroids formed directly through intense periods of star formation in distant galactic cores."
"Astrophysicists have sought to understand this process for decades. These galaxies form quickly - the gas is drawn in to feed black holes and trigger starbursts at a rate 10 to 100 times higher than our Milky Way."
The researchers used the open archival projectsA3COSMOS and-A3GOODSS, which allowed them to collect high-quality observations of many distant galaxies.
Future directions in galactic research
The scientists note that they will combine their findings with data from telescopes located on theJWST and-Euclid, as well as from the Chinese space station, to map the stellar components of galaxies.
Dr. Puglisi from the University of Southampton added: "This will give us a more complete picture of the formation of early galaxies and deepen our understanding of the evolution of the universe since its beginning."
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