Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have discovered a galaxy with a unique light signature that they believe is caused by gas outshining its stars. Galaxy GS-NDG-9422, found about one billion years after the big bang, may represent a missing-link phase of galactic evolution between the universe’s first stars and more established galaxies. Lead researcher Alex Cameron of the University of Oxford described the discovery as “weird” and emphasized the importance of the Webb telescope in revealing new phenomena from the early universe that can help us understand the origins of the cosmos.
Cameron and colleague Harley Katz, a theorist, analyzed the strange data from galaxy 9422 and found that it closely matched computer models of cosmic gas clouds heated by very hot, massive stars. These models suggest that the stars in the galaxy are much hotter and more massive than those typically found in the local universe, with temperatures exceeding 140,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The intense star formation in a dense gas cloud appears to be producing a large number of these exotic, bright stars, leading to the gas outshining the stars in the galaxy.
While the galaxy does not contain Population III stars, the researchers believe that its unique stars could provide insight into how galaxies transitioned from primordial stars to more familiar types of galaxies. The intriguing discovery raises questions about the prevalence of these conditions in galaxies during this time period and what they can tell us about even earlier phases of galaxy evolution. Cameron, Katz, and their team are actively seeking out more galaxies that exhibit similar characteristics in order to gain a better understanding of the processes at play in the early universe.
The researchers are excited about the potential for new discoveries and understanding that can be gained from studying galaxies like 9422 with the Webb telescope. The ability to explore this previously inaccessible time in the universe’s history is viewed as a significant advancement in our knowledge of cosmic evolution. The team hopes that by identifying and studying more galaxies like 9422, they can uncover additional clues about the development of galaxies within the first billion years after the big bang. The research paper detailing their findings is published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
