NASA Confirms Galaxy Formation Model Through New Research

Key Takeaways

1. The Milky Way has a dual structure: a thick disk of older stars and a thinner disk of younger stars.
2. A study led by Takafumi Tsukui used the Webb Space Telescope to reveal the disk structures of galaxies from the early universe for the first time.
3. Larger galaxies formed their thin disks around 8 billion years ago, while smaller galaxies did so approximately 4 billion years ago.
4. The research supports the “turbulent gas disk” theory, where chaotic gas clouds led to the formation of a thick disk followed by a thin disk.
5. The findings help contextualize the Milky Way’s history within a broader cosmic timeline.

Astronomers have been curious about the reasons behind the dual structure of galaxies such as our Milky Way. It has a thick disk of older stars that rises 3,000 light-years high and a thinner disk of younger stars that is 1,000 light-years high. A research team, led by Takafumi Tsukui from the Australian National University (ANU), studied a group of 111 galaxies and discovered a distinct pattern in how these structures formed.

Groundbreaking Research

The study, which appeared in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, utilized the Webb Space Telescope’s remarkable capability to penetrate cosmic dust and reveal the faint light emitted by ancient stars. This breakthrough enabled the team to identify the disk structures of galaxies from the early universe for the very first time. Their research indicates that galaxies typically create a thick disk initially, followed by the formation of a thin disk.

Mass Matters

The timing of this formation process is influenced by the mass of the galaxy. Larger galaxies formed their thin disks approximately 8 billion years ago, while smaller galaxies took a longer time to do so, creating their thin disks around 4 billion years ago.

These findings lend support to the “turbulent gas disk” theory. In this model, the early universe was characterized by chaos, where turbulent gas clouds ignited rapid and widespread star formation, resulting in the initial, fluffy thick disk. As these stars formed, their gravitational force helped stabilize the gas cloud, leading it to transition into the flatter, more organized thin disk where star formation persisted. More massive galaxies were better at converting gas into stars, allowing them to establish their thin disks sooner.

Contextualizing the Milky Way

This fresh perspective aids in placing the history of the Milky Way in a broader cosmic timeline, as the timeline observed in the study corresponds with the expected formation period of our galaxy’s thin disk. Researchers from ANU, including Tsukui and Wisnioski, played a key role in analyzing the data from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. For those interested in stargazing, the 130EQ Newtonian Reflector Telescope (curr. $299.99 on Amazon) presents a budget-friendly option to delve into the night sky.

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