When the James Webb Space Telescope scrutinized nascent galaxies using its Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam), it found the chaotic initial periods of development in these remote entities.(Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, B. Robertson (UC Santa Cruz), B. Johnson (CfA), S. Tacchella (Cambridge), P. Cargile (CfA))
Similar to cosmic youths, galaxies in the early-stage universe were unorganized and struggled to stabilize, according to a fresh investigation.
By employing the potent James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scientists surveyed over 250 galaxies in the primeval universe. The study group documented the flow of gas far back in time, during the universe’s adolescence — spanning from 800 million to 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang. (The cosmos has existed for roughly 13.8 billion years.)
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“The majority of the galaxy community is experiencing a chaotic stage of its developmental history,” Lola Danhaive, the primary author and a doctoral candidate at the University of Cambridge’s Kavli Institute for Cosmology, conveyed to Live Science via email.
Diverging from prior studies, Danhaive clarified that the group concentrated on smaller galaxies and identified what they referred to as “messy kinematics,” implying that the galaxies under investigation lack the stability of rotating disks like the Milky Way and its neighboring systems.
Danhaive further stated that turbulence during earlier epochs of the universe’s timeline was significantly greater than scientists had initially believed, due to the inclination of earlier investigations towards larger and more structured galaxies, which are more readily detected by telescopes compared to the smaller galaxies examined in the current study.
“We are finding indications that this turbulence within the [galaxy] disk arises from substantial quantities of gas, which sustain vigorous star formation and trigger gravitational uncertainties,” Danhaive commented.
Additionally, the researchers charted the shift of galaxies from these tumultuous forms into the more predictable configurations observed in mature galaxies, providing an unparalleled perspective on the evolution of galaxies from their nascent stages to full development.
“In the beginning, galaxies undergo a turbulent phase of construction, during which intense periods of star creation and copious amounts of gas disrupt the consistent movements of the gas disk,” Danhaive elaborated. “Later on, galaxies accumulate mass and attain greater stability.”
Structures resembling the Milky Way materialized more recently, over the last several billion years, as the available gas was consumed by stars and diminished throughout the galaxy. A reduction in freely circulating gas enables mature galaxies to evolve and transform more fluidly than during their initial phases.
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This analysis hinged on the JWST, which occupies a faraway, gravitationally secure location in space, shielded from the dispersed illumination of Earth and the moon. The infrared telescope boasts the capacity to penetrate farther into space than any of its forerunners, routinely spotting galaxies deemed to be among the earliest in the known universe. Danhaive expressed that the observatory, in conjunction with simulations, is assisting researchers in gaining a more comprehensive understanding of “bursty” star formation and the effects of gas on a galaxy’s disk.
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“In general, our efforts provide a glimpse into the mechanics of initial galaxy development,” she mentioned. Looking forward, the team intends to examine the influx and outflow of gas in specific galaxies by tracking the chemical enrichment of gas.
The researchers anticipate that inflowing gas will exhibit a lower level of enrichment, or be “pristine,” whereas outflowing gas will present a greater array of chemical constituents, thanks to inputs from individual stars inside the galaxy. Scrutinizing how gas travels through the galaxy could enable researchers to ascertain why certain galaxies exhibit faster rotation speeds compared to others, for instance.
“There are vast undiscovered elements to be revealed through JWST’s remarkable capabilities, and we eagerly anticipate delving into further facets of early galaxy formation,” Danhaive concluded.
TOPICSJames Webb Space Telescope
Elizabeth HowellLive Science Contributor
Elizabeth Howell was staff reporter at Space.com between 2022 and 2024 and a regular contributor to Live Science and Space.com between 2012 and 2022. Elizabeth’s reporting includes multiple exclusives with the White House, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, flying parabolic, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, “Why Am I Taller?” (ECW Press, 2022) is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams.
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