Latest news with #PasquierNoterdaeme
Time of India
5 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Rare ‘cosmic joust' reveals how galaxies battle and evolve 11 billion light years away
The universe is a vast space where galaxies, stars, and black holes perform cosmic dances that span billions of years. While many of such surprises take place quietly over many years, some rare incidents give astronomers an opportunity to witness these in real time. And moments like these allow scientists to deepen their understanding of galaxy formation, star birth, and the detailed forces that work in the distant universe. One such special event recently caught the attention of astronomers, telling how galaxies influence each other during their lifetimes. Through the lens of the world's most powerful telescopes, researchers have witnessed a cosmic duel. A rare cosmic duel! Astronomers have observed a powerful interaction between two galaxies, moving toward each other at an astonishing speed of over 1.8 million kilometers per hour. This event happened over nearly four years of observation, and it shows one galaxy emitting intense radiation that damages its partner, and hinders its ability to form new stars. A cosmic joust Scientists describe this extraordinary encounter as a 'cosmic joust,' where the two galaxies that are located about 11 billion light-years from Earth are gradually merging into a single, larger galaxy. The radiation emitted from a bright core called a quasar, powered by a supermassive black hole, pushes away gas clouds in the neighboring galaxy. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Secure Your Child's Future with Strong English Fluency Planet Spark Learn More Undo These gas clouds are essential for star formation, and their dispersal effectively stops the birth of new stars in that galaxy. 'It's an exciting field to study. Research like this can teach us more about the birth of new galaxies and observe how they evolve over time,' said astrophysicist Dong-Woo Kim in an interview with CNN. Using Very Large Telescopes, the researchers discovered that the quasar's radiation is about a thousand times stronger than what is found in our own Milky Way. This powerful energy breaks apart hydrogen gas clouds in the companion galaxy, making them too small and diffuse to create stars. Meanwhile, some of the material from the affected galaxy feeds the quasar, giving it even more energy to unleash. 'At first, we just knew there was some molecular gas between the (attacking galaxy's) quasar and us. It's only after we started to look with bigger telescopes that we detected there were actually two galaxies,' explained researcher Pasquier Noterdaeme. This observation marks the first time scientists have directly seen how a quasar's radiation influences the star-forming gas in a nearby galaxy a phenomenon previously only theorized. Detecting this rare event was no small feat. Quasar light is so intense it usually outshines and hides nearby galaxies, making such discoveries as difficult as 'finding a needle in a haystack,' according to study coauthor Sergei Balashev.
Economic Times
6 days ago
- Science
- Economic Times
First-ever cosmic duel caught: One galaxy blasted another in deep space battle 11 billion light-years away
A clash of titans Star formation Live Events Implications for galactic evolution What's next (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Astronomers have, for the first time, captured a dramatic cosmic event: two galaxies engaged in a high-speed collision, aptly dubbed a "cosmic joust." This celestial spectacle, occurring over 11 billion light-years away, offers unprecedented insights into galaxy evolution and the influence of quasars on star formation Utilizing the combined capabilities of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, researchers observed two massive galaxies hurtling toward each other at approximately 1.1 million miles per hour (1.8 million kilometers per hour). One of these galaxies harbors a quasar—a luminous, energetic core powered by a supermassive black hole—emitting intense radiation that pierces its galactic neighbor."Much like jousting knights charging toward one another, these galaxies are rapidly approaching," explained Pasquier Noterdaeme, co-lead of the study and researcher at the Paris Institute of Astrophysics and the French-Chilean Laboratory for Astronomy in Chile. "One of them—the quasar host—emits a powerful beam of radiation that pierces the companion galaxy, like a lance. This radiation 'wounds' its 'opponent' as it disrupts the gas."The quasar's ultraviolet radiation, about a thousand times stronger than that of our Milky Way , disrupts the molecular gas clouds in the companion galaxy. These clouds, typically the birthplaces of stars, are fragmented into tiny, dense cloudlets too small to initiate star formation."It's really the first time that we can see the radiative effect of a quasar on the molecular gas of a nearby galaxy," noted Sergei Balashev, co-author of the study and researcher at the Ioffe Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia. "Until now, this effect had only been theorized but not confirmed through direct observation."This cosmic encounter occurred when the universe was merely 2.4 billion years old, providing a rare window into the early stages of galaxy formation and interaction. The galaxies involved are similar in size to the Milky Way, each containing hundreds of billions of stars."Galaxies are typically found in groups, and gravitational ...," Noterdaeme said. "In line with current understanding, these ... The quasar will fade as it."The observation not only confirms long-standing theories about quasar influence on star formation but also underscores the dynamic and often violent nature of galaxy evolution. As galaxies merge, the influx of gas can fuel supermassive black holes, triggering quasar activity that, in turn, can suppress star formation in neighboring regions."This study provides the first direct evidence supporting long-standing theoretical models," said Neeraj Gupta, a researcher at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune, India, who contributed to the the light from this event has taken over 11 billion years to reach us, the implications of this discovery are immediate, offering a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between galaxies and the forces that shape them. As astronomers continue to explore the cosmos, observations like this "cosmic joust" illuminate the intricate dance of creation and destruction that governs our universe.
Time of India
7 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
First-ever cosmic duel caught: One galaxy blasted another in deep space battle 11 billion light-years away
Astronomers have, for the first time, captured a dramatic cosmic event: two galaxies engaged in a high-speed collision, aptly dubbed a "cosmic joust." This celestial spectacle, occurring over 11 billion light-years away, offers unprecedented insights into galaxy evolution and the influence of quasars on star formation . A clash of titans Utilizing the combined capabilities of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, researchers observed two massive galaxies hurtling toward each other at approximately 1.1 million miles per hour (1.8 million kilometers per hour). One of these galaxies harbors a quasar—a luminous, energetic core powered by a supermassive black hole—emitting intense radiation that pierces its galactic neighbor. "Much like jousting knights charging toward one another, these galaxies are rapidly approaching," explained Pasquier Noterdaeme, co-lead of the study and researcher at the Paris Institute of Astrophysics and the French-Chilean Laboratory for Astronomy in Chile. "One of them—the quasar host—emits a powerful beam of radiation that pierces the companion galaxy, like a lance. This radiation 'wounds' its 'opponent' as it disrupts the gas." Star formation The quasar's ultraviolet radiation, about a thousand times stronger than that of our Milky Way , disrupts the molecular gas clouds in the companion galaxy. These clouds, typically the birthplaces of stars, are fragmented into tiny, dense cloudlets too small to initiate star formation. Live Events "It's really the first time that we can see the radiative effect of a quasar on the molecular gas of a nearby galaxy," noted Sergei Balashev, co-author of the study and researcher at the Ioffe Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia. "Until now, this effect had only been theorized but not confirmed through direct observation." This cosmic encounter occurred when the universe was merely 2.4 billion years old, providing a rare window into the early stages of galaxy formation and interaction. The galaxies involved are similar in size to the Milky Way, each containing hundreds of billions of stars. "Galaxies are typically found in groups, and gravitational ...," Noterdaeme said. "In line with current understanding, these ... The quasar will fade as it." Implications for galactic evolution The observation not only confirms long-standing theories about quasar influence on star formation but also underscores the dynamic and often violent nature of galaxy evolution. As galaxies merge, the influx of gas can fuel supermassive black holes, triggering quasar activity that, in turn, can suppress star formation in neighboring regions. "This study provides the first direct evidence supporting long-standing theoretical models," said Neeraj Gupta, a researcher at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune, India, who contributed to the research. What's next While the light from this event has taken over 11 billion years to reach us, the implications of this discovery are immediate, offering a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between galaxies and the forces that shape them. As astronomers continue to explore the cosmos, observations like this "cosmic joust" illuminate the intricate dance of creation and destruction that governs our universe. Economic Times WhatsApp channel )
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists spot high-speed galaxy collision 11 billion light-years away: 'We hence call this system the cosmic joust'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Using a telescope in Chile, astronomers have captured a high-speed collision between two galaxies located more than 11 billion light-years away, getting a rare direct glimpse into how the universe's most luminous sources of energy, known as quasars, can sculpt their surroundings and influence the evolution of galaxies. The new findings describe a galactic battle between the galaxy on the right in the image above, which hosts an actively feeding black hole, a quasar, at its center, and its neighbor on the left, which is being bombarded by intense radiation that disrupts its ability to form new stars. "We hence call this system the 'cosmic joust,'" Pasquier Noterdaeme, a researcher at the Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris in France, who co-led the new study, said in a statement. Named J012555.11−012925.00, the quasar is generally so bright that it outshines its surroundings, dominating optical images as a single point of light. However, using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a network of 66 radio dishes in the Chilean Andes working together as one giant telescope, astronomers were able to distinguish the second galaxy. The observations revealed the companion galaxy is moving toward the quasar-hosting galaxy at about 1.2 million miles per hour (2 million kilometers per hour), indicating the two are in the midst of a high-speed collision. To study how the quasar's radiation affects the companion galaxy, the researchers used the X-shooter instrument on the Very Large Telescope (VLT), also located in Chile. By analyzing the quasar's light as it passed through the other galaxy, they found the radiation blasts apart the gas in the companion galaxy, leaving behind compact cloudlets that are too small to form new stars. Related Stories: — Why do dwarf galaxies line up? 'Zippers' and 'twisters' in the early universe may solve a galactic mystery — Scientists calculate when the universe will end — it's sooner than expected — Amateur astrophotographer captures a stunning galaxy 24 million light-years from Earth (photo) "We see for the first time the effect of a quasar's radiation directly on the internal structure of the gas in an otherwise regular galaxy," Sergei Balashev, a researcher at the Ioffe Institute in Russia, who co-led the study, said in the statement. The gravitational forces at play are also pulling more gas toward the black hole, allowing it to continue feeding and powering the quasar, the study found. "These mergers are thought to bring huge amounts of gas to supermassive black holes residing in galaxy centres," said Balashev. The study was published on Wednesday (May 21) in the journal Nature.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Astronomers Intrigued by Galaxy Blasting Its Neighbor With Giant Energy Beam
As two distant galaxies trade blows in an ancient duel billions of years old, one belligerent has clearly proven itself more ruthless than the other. Each time the galaxies conclude their posturing and charge in for a clash, one of them impales its opponent with a powerful beam of radiation, crippling its ability to form new stars. In cosmic terms, it's the definition of a below the belt blow — and a massive one at that. This lopsided showdown was reported in a new study set to be published in the journal Nature, marking the first observation of a galaxy blasting its neighbor with radiation, and furthers our understanding of the huge galactic meat grinders known as quasars. "We hence call this system the 'cosmic joust'," said study co-lead author Pasquier Noterdaeme, a researcher at the Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, in a statement about the work. The light we're seeing from this joust is over 11 billion years old, dating it to when the universe was less than one-fifth of its current age. Bloodsport, it seems, is a time-honored tradition. Using observations made with the Very Large Telescope and the ALMA telescope in Chile, the astronomers determined that the galaxies are veering towards each other at astounding speeds exceeding 311 miles per second. After crossing paths, they circle back, then wind up to hurtle towards each other yet again. One galaxy, it appears, is fairly typical. But the other is dominated by a quasar, a luminous region at the center of the galaxy where a supermassive black hole churns through billions of stars' worth of dust and gases. As the doomed material swirls into the black hole, they become so hot that they produce light capable of outshining entire galaxies, including the Milky Way. "We discovered a quasar — likely triggered by the merging of two galaxies — that is actively transforming the gas structure in its companion galaxy," Noterdaeme told Gizmodo. "The idea that galaxy mergers give rise to quasars has long been proposed, mainly supported by statistical studies of host galaxy morphologies." "In our case,' Noterdaeme added, "we caught the two galaxies in the act." When they looked closer, the researchers found that when the quasar-powered galaxy skewered its opponent, the invading beam of radiation disrupted the clouds of gas and dust it penetrated, taking out stellar nurseries that are prime regions for forming stars. For the one wielding the weapon, this had an added effect. Like blood running down a blade, some of the gases from the impaled galaxy trickled back to the attacker, feeding even more material into the quasar's voracious black hole. It's not a spectacle for the faint of heart. But if you count yourself among the coliseum mob cheering on the gladiatorial carnage, there's good news. Noterdaeme said that the next generation of observatories, namely the under-construction Extremely Large Telescope, will allow astronomers to "better understand the evolution of quasars and their effect on host and nearby galaxies" — delivering you all the gory details in bouts like these. More on astronomy: Scientists Intrigued by Bridge of Dark Matter Inside Huge Galaxy Cluster
