Universe’s Dead Galaxy: What Happened to it at 700 Million Years Old?
The Universe is full of mysteries, and one of them revolves around a galaxy that was already dead when the Universe was only 700 million years old. This peculiar phenomenon has caught the attention of an international team of astronomers who are determined to unravel the secrets behind this dead galaxy.
During the first few hundred million years of the Universe, there was a flurry of activity with gas clouds collapsing to form new stars. Galaxies thrived on a rich supply of gas, akin to an all-you-can-eat buffet. However, when the galaxy JADES-GS-z7-01-QU was observed using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), it displayed little evidence of ongoing star formation. Astronomers refer to this state as ‘quenched,’ suggesting that star formation had started and abruptly ceased.
Understanding why this young galaxy stopped creating stars is crucial in the field of cosmology. What factors led to this sudden halt in star birth, and were they the same as those affecting star formation today? These questions have piqued the curiosity of scientists worldwide.
Star-formation quenching is typically a gradual process that occurs much later in the Universe’s timeline. Dr. Francesco D’Eugenio from the Kavli Institute for Cosmology explains that galaxies usually cease star formation due to factors like black holes. However, JADES-GS-z7-01-QU experienced an intense period of star formation shortly after its inception, followed by an abrupt stop.
Astronomers speculate that the galaxy may have run out of gas or that a supermassive black hole at its core devoured much of the available material for star formation. The black hole’s powerful winds and jets could have also expelled a significant portion of the star-birth material from the galaxy. Another possibility is that the rapid pace of star formation depleted the available supply. The early universe was known for its dramatic and accelerated processes, which could explain the galaxy’s transition from a star-forming phase to a dormant state.
Despite the wealth of data collected by JWST, it remains unclear what exactly transpired in this little galaxy at the dawn of time. Scientists are diligently examining the information to gain further insights. Professor Roberto Maiolino emphasizes the need to revisit existing models based on the modern universe, as the rapid quenching of star formation observed in JADES-GS-z7-01-QU challenges previous assumptions.
To shed more light on this phenomenon, additional observations using JWST are necessary. Astronomers are actively searching for other galaxies in the early Universe that exhibit similar characteristics. These findings will help constrain the mechanisms behind star formation cessation. It is possible that galaxies in the early Universe experience periods of “death” followed by bursts of renewed activity. Further observations will be instrumental in confirming this hypothesis.
Another intriguing possibility is that the quenching of star formation in JADES-GS-z7-01-QU was only temporary. It could have been caused by periodic outflows of star-stuff material into interstellar space, driven by the black hole at the galaxy’s nucleus. While other galaxies have also been observed to take breaks from star birth, they are typically much more massive than JADES-GS-z7-01-QU. This raises the possibility that the galaxy may have resumed its star-forming activities later in its history, potentially growing significantly more massive over time.
This leads to an exciting idea: perhaps other “quenched” galaxies also experienced periods of dormancy before receiving a massive infusion of gas, possibly through collisions with other galaxies. These subsequent gas infusions would have fueled the creation of later generations of stars. Future observations using JWST will undoubtedly uncover more of these quenched galaxies, allowing astronomers to study their dormant phases in greater detail.
The mystery surrounding the dead galaxy at 700 million years old continues to captivate scientists. By delving deeper into the secrets of this celestial phenomenon, astronomers hope to gain a better understanding of the early Universe and the intricate processes that shape galaxies throughout cosmic history.
This article was originally published by Universe Today. Read the original article.
