Ancient Galaxies Rewrite Cosmic Rulebook

Galaxies in the ancient universe were found to have only a quarter of the expected chemical abundance, according to a recent study utilizing the Webb Space Telescope. Despite following the rules of star formation rate and stellar mass observed in younger galaxies, these ancient galaxies showcased a dramatic rewrite of the cosmic rulebook. The findings have been published in Nature Astronomy.

The study co-author, Claudia Lagos, described the discovery as surprising, with the ancient galaxies producing fewer heavy elements than predicted. The early galaxies received new, undiluted gas from their surroundings, which resulted in the dilution of heavy elements inside the galaxies.

Webb Space Telescope, launched in December 2021, enabled the measurement of chemical abundances at higher redshifts. Earlier measurements were limited to redshifts of z=3.3, while Webb allowed measurements up to z=7-10, providing insight into galaxies from the universe’s first few hundred million years. Webb has even discovered galaxies with redshifts of approximately 10.25 and 12.5, making previous findings appear remarkably mature for their age.

The Webb Space Telescope continues to scrutinize these ancient galaxies to gain a deeper understanding of their formation and evolution. However, the lack of heavy elements in these galaxies remains a mystery. Ongoing observations by Webb hold the potential to shed further light on this topic and unveil additional inquiries in the pursuit of clarity.

Source: Webb Telescope Data Suggests Ancient Galaxies Were Metal-Poor and Full of Gas