Astronomers are nearing a breakthrough in understanding the formation of the universe’s largest elliptical galaxies, solving a mystery that has baffled experts for decades.
Researchers, including a team from the University of Southampton and international collaborators, have identified the birth sites of these massive galaxies, shedding light on their origins. Unlike the flat, disk-like Milky Way, elliptical galaxies resemble bulging footballs, and their creation has long been an enigma for astrophysicists.
Dr. Annagrazia Puglisi from the University of Southampton, a co-author of the study, suggests that large flows of cold gas and galaxy collisions in the early universe likely gave rise to these colossal systems. "When two disk galaxies collided, their gas—fuel for star formation—was driven to their centers, leading to the creation of trillions of stars," she explained.
These events, occurring 8 to 12 billion years ago, took place during a highly active phase of the universe’s evolution. "Our findings bring us closer to solving a long-standing mystery in astronomy, redefining our understanding of galaxy creation in the early universe," Puglisi added.
Published in Nature, the study involved researchers from the Purple Mountain Observatory, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and other institutions. The team analyzed over 100 distant star-forming galaxies using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), the world’s largest radio telescope, located in Chile's Atacama Desert.
Study lead Dr. Qing-Hua Tan of the Purple Mountain Observatory described the significance of their findings: "This is the first concrete evidence that spheroids form directly through intense star formation episodes within the cores of distant galaxies. These galaxies form rapidly, with gas funneling inward to fuel black holes and trigger starbursts at rates ten to 100 times faster than in the Milky Way."
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Using advanced techniques, the researchers examined the distribution of light emitted by these luminous galaxies. They also relied on data from open-source projects like A3COSMOS and A3GOODSS, which provided high-quality observations of the distant universe.
Future efforts will combine these findings with data from cutting-edge telescopes, including the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the Euclid satellite, and the Chinese Space Station Telescope. These instruments will allow scientists to map the stellar components of galaxies, offering a more detailed picture of galaxy formation.
"This combined approach will deepen our understanding of how the universe has evolved since its inception," said Dr. Puglisi. "It’s an exciting step toward unraveling the secrets of early galaxy creation."