Astronomers believe they are on the verge of solving one of the greatest mysteries in cosmology: the origins of the universe’s largest galaxies. These massive elliptical galaxies, which resemble bulging footballs compared to the flat spiral structure of the Milky Way, have puzzled scientists for decades.
A groundbreaking study led by the University of Southampton, in collaboration with international experts, has identified the probable birth sites of these ancient giants. Using cutting-edge telescopes and advanced techniques, the research team has uncovered compelling evidence of how galactic collisions and flows of cold gas in the early universe may have given rise to these colossal systems.
How Cosmic Collisions Shaped the Universe’s Giants
Dr. Annagrazia Puglisi from the University of Southampton, one of the study’s co-authors, explains that these immense galaxies owe their formation to dramatic cosmic events billions of years ago. “Two disk galaxies smashing together caused gas—the fuel for star formation—to sink toward their centers, creating trillions of new stars,” she said. These galactic collisions likely occurred 8 to 12 billion years ago during the universe’s most dynamic evolutionary phase.
The research, published in Nature, involved analyzing over 100 star-forming galaxies using ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array), the world’s most advanced radio telescope, located in Chile’s Atacama Desert. The team discovered that intense star formation at the cores of these galaxies is the primary driver behind their spherical shape and immense size.
“This is the first real evidence that spheroids form directly through intense bursts of star formation located in the hearts of distant galaxies,” said Dr. Qing-Hua Tan of the Purple Mountain Observatory, who led the study. According to the findings, these galaxies form at astonishing speeds, with stars being created at rates 10 to 100 times faster than in the Milky Way.
Peering into the Past with Future Technology
The study was made possible through open-source datasets like A3COSMOS and A3GOODSS, which allowed researchers to observe galaxies from billions of years ago with unprecedented detail. Looking ahead, the team plans to combine their findings with data from cutting-edge observatories, including the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the Euclid satellite, and the Chinese Space Station.
Dr. Puglisi highlighted the importance of this next step: “By combining this data, we’ll be able to piece together a more complete picture of early galaxy formation and understand how the universe evolved from its infancy to what we see today.”
This groundbreaking research not only brings scientists closer to answering how the universe’s largest galaxies formed but also offers a fresh perspective on the cosmic events that shaped the early universe, leaving a legacy visible in the stars today.
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