Latest news with #ScuolaNormaleSuperioreofPisa
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Universe grew ‘much faster than expected' after Big Bang, astronomers say
Astronomers have said the Universe may have developed 'much faster than was expected' after oxygen was found in the most distant known galaxy. Scientists working with the Alma telescope in Chile's Atacama Desert said they were 'astonished' by the detection of oxygen in Jades-GS-z14-0, the most distant confirmed galaxy ever found, as it suggests galaxies formed more rapidly after the Big Bang than previously thought. The light from Jades-GS-z14-0, which was discovered last year by scientists using Nasa's James Webb Space Telescope, took 13.4 billion years to reach Earth. This means observers see it as it was when the Universe was less than 300 million years old, about 2% of its present age, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) said. Researchers previously believed that a 300-million-year-old Universe was still too young to have galaxies full of heavy elements such as oxygen, as these only disperse through galaxies after the death of stars inside them. 'It is like finding an adolescent where you would only expect babies,' said Sander Schouws, a PhD candidate at Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands. 'The results show the galaxy has formed very rapidly and is also maturing rapidly, adding to a growing body of evidence that the formation of galaxies happens much faster than was expected.' Stefano Carniani, of the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa in Italy, said: 'I was astonished by the unexpected results because they opened a new view on the first phases of galaxy evolution'. 'The evidence that a galaxy is already mature in the infant Universe raises questions about when and how galaxies formed.' Galaxies usually start their lives full of young stars, which are made mostly of light elements like hydrogen and helium, ESO said. As stars evolve, they create heavier elements like oxygen, which get dispersed through their host galaxy after they die. But two different teams of astronomers found Jades-GS-z14-0 to contain about 10 times more heavy elements than expected. The 'record-breaking' oxygen detection has also allowed astronomers to make their distance measurements to Jades-GS-z14-0 much more accurate, ESO added. Eleonora Parlanti, a PhD student at the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa, said: 'The Alma detection offers an extraordinarily precise measurement of the galaxy's distance down to an uncertainty of just 0.005%. 'This level of precision, analogous to being accurate within 5cm over a distance of 1km, helps refine our understanding of distant galaxy properties.' Gergo Popping, an ESO astronomer at the European Alma Regional Centre who did not take part in the studies, said: 'I was really surprised by this clear detection of oxygen in Jades-GS-z14-0. 'It suggests galaxies can form more rapidly after the Big Bang than had previously been thought. 'This result showcases the important role Alma plays in unravelling the conditions under which the first galaxies in our Universe formed.' The two studies, one led by the Netherland's Leiden Observatory and the other by the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa, were based on results from the Alma telescope (Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array), and carried out in partnership with ESO.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Oxygen discovered in most distant galaxy ever seen: 'It is like finding an adolescent where you would only expect babies'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Astronomers have found oxygen in the farthest, and thus the earliest, galaxy ever seen. This marks the most distant detection of oxygen ever made by humanity. This early galaxy, designated JADES-GS-z14-0, has 10 times the amount of heavy elements that would be expected in a galaxy that existed just 300 million years after the Big Bang. The findings indicate that this galaxy was already mature in the early universe, challenging theories of galactic evolution. JADES-GS-z14-0 was discovered in 2024 by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST); its light had taken about 13.4 billion years to travel to us, equivalent to around 98% of the 13.8 billion-year-old universe's lifetime. The newly unearthed chemical composition of JADES-GS-z14-0 came courtesy of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). "It is like finding an adolescent where you would only expect babies," team member and Leiden Observatory researcher Sander Schouws said in a statement. "The results show the galaxy has formed very rapidly and is also maturing rapidly, adding to a growing body of evidence that the formation of galaxies happens much faster than was expected." JADES-GS-z14-0 was spotted alongside several other similarly early galaxies as part of the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) program. This project aims to provide vital insights into how stars, gas and black holes evolved within primordial galaxies when the 13.8 billion-year-old universe was very young. To understand why it is so surprising for heavy elements to be discovered in an early galaxy like JADES-GS-z14-0, it is necessary to consider the chemical composition of the infant universe. When the universe was 2% of its current age, scientists think it was filled predominantly with hydrogen, the lightest element in the cosmos, some helium, and a tiny smattering of heavier elements, which astronomers somewhat confusingly call "metals." This means stars and galaxies seen during this period should be correspondingly "metal-poor." As these first stars died and exploded in supernova explosions, the metals they had forged during their lives were dispersed, enriching the gas clouds within their home galaxies. These clouds eventually formed the next generation of stars, which were therefore more metal-rich. That means the older a galaxy gets, the more its "maturity" can be measured based on the abundance of metals it holds. And, seen at 300 million years into the life of the cosmos, JADES-GS-z14-0 should be metal-poor and "immature" — yet it appears to be mature. 'I was astonished by the unexpected results because they opened a new view on the first phases of galaxy evolution," team member Stefano Carniani of the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa, Italy, said in the statement. "The evidence that a galaxy is already mature in the infant universe raises questions about when and how galaxies formed." The detection of oxygen in this early galaxy has also allowed astronomers to measure the distance to JADES-GS-z14-0 more precisely. "The ALMA detection offers an extraordinarily precise measurement of the galaxy's distance down to an uncertainty of just 0.005%," team member Eleonora Parlanti of the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa, Italy, said. "This level of precision — analogous to being accurate within 5 cm over a distance of 0.62 miles [1 kilometer] — helps refine our understanding of distant galaxy properties." While it took the JWST to discover this incredibly distant galaxy, the precise measurement of its distance from Earth wouldn't have been possible without ALMA."This shows the amazing synergy between ALMA and JWST to reveal the formation and evolution of the first galaxies," team member and Leiden Observatory astronomer Rychard Bouwens said in the statement Related stories: — James Webb Space Telescope spies record-breaking 'failed star' that shouldn't exist (video) — James Webb Space Telescope spots the most distant galaxy ever seen (image) — 'Failed star' is the coldest radio wave source ever discovered Gergö Popping is an astronomer at the European ALMA Regional Center who was not involved in this research. "I was really surprised by this clear detection of oxygen in JADES-GS-z14-0," he said. "It suggests galaxies can form more rapidly after the Big Bang than had previously been thought. "This result showcases the important role ALMA plays in unraveling the conditions under which the first galaxies in our universe formed." The team's research has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal.
The Independent
20-03-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Universe grew ‘much faster than expected' after Big Bang, astronomers say
Astronomers have said the Universe may have developed 'much faster than was expected' after oxygen was found in the most distant known galaxy. Scientists working with the Alma telescope in Chile's Atacama Desert said they were 'astonished' by the detection of oxygen in Jades-GS-z14-0, the most distant confirmed galaxy ever found, as it suggests galaxies formed more rapidly after the Big Bang than previously thought. The light from Jades-GS-z14-0, which was discovered last year by scientists using Nasa's James Webb Space Telescope, took 13.4 billion years to reach Earth. This means observers see it as it was when the Universe was less than 300 million years old, about 2% of its present age, the European Southern Observatory (ESO) said. Researchers previously believed that a 300-million-year-old Universe was still too young to have galaxies full of heavy elements such as oxygen, as these only disperse through galaxies after the death of stars inside them. 'It is like finding an adolescent where you would only expect babies,' said Sander Schouws, a PhD candidate at Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands. 'The results show the galaxy has formed very rapidly and is also maturing rapidly, adding to a growing body of evidence that the formation of galaxies happens much faster than was expected.' Stefano Carniani, of the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa in Italy, said: 'I was astonished by the unexpected results because they opened a new view on the first phases of galaxy evolution'. 'The evidence that a galaxy is already mature in the infant Universe raises questions about when and how galaxies formed.' Galaxies usually start their lives full of young stars, which are made mostly of light elements like hydrogen and helium, ESO said. As stars evolve, they create heavier elements like oxygen, which get dispersed through their host galaxy after they die. But two different teams of astronomers found Jades-GS-z14-0 to contain about 10 times more heavy elements than expected. The 'record-breaking' oxygen detection has also allowed astronomers to make their distance measurements to Jades-GS-z14-0 much more accurate, ESO added. Eleonora Parlanti, a PhD student at the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa, said: 'The Alma detection offers an extraordinarily precise measurement of the galaxy's distance down to an uncertainty of just 0.005%. 'This level of precision, analogous to being accurate within 5cm over a distance of 1km, helps refine our understanding of distant galaxy properties.' Gergo Popping, an ESO astronomer at the European Alma Regional Centre who did not take part in the studies, said: 'I was really surprised by this clear detection of oxygen in Jades-GS-z14-0. 'It suggests galaxies can form more rapidly after the Big Bang than had previously been thought. 'This result showcases the important role Alma plays in unravelling the conditions under which the first galaxies in our Universe formed.' The two studies, one led by the Netherland's Leiden Observatory and the other by the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa, were based on results from the Alma telescope (Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array), and carried out in partnership with ESO.
