Astronomers observe young galaxy blowing away star-forming gas, explaining early 'dead' galaxies found by JWST
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· 2 sourcesAstronomers have observed a young galaxy system called CRISTAL-02 that is blowing away the cold gas needed for star formation, providing a natural explanation for the unexpectedly large number of "dead" galaxies discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope in the early Universe, according to coverage on bsky. The galaxy shows a huge plume of cold gas extending away from it, nearly as long as the galaxy itself, indicating gas is being driven out by stellar winds or active galactic nuclei feedback. Hacker News reported that this "galaxy-killing wind" is powered by cosmic collisions between galaxies, rapidly removing the gas and dust required for star formation. The discovery offers a simpler explanation than other theories proposed since JWST's observations began in 2022, helping solve a major mystery about why some galaxies stopped forming stars so early in cosmic history.
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Summary
Astronomers have observed a young galaxy system called CRISTAL-02 that appears to be blowing away the cold gas needed for star formation, providing a natural explanation for the unexpectedly large number of 'dead' galaxies discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope in the early Universe. The galaxy shows a huge plume of cold gas extending away from it, nearly as long as the galaxy itself, indicating gas is being driven out of the galaxy, likely by stellar winds or active galactic nuclei feedback.
Key quotes
· 2 pulledAstronomers have caught a young galaxy system apparently blowing away the gas it needs to keep making stars, offering a natural explanation for one of the surprises thrown up by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope: the large number of 'dead' galaxies in the early Universe.
An artist's impression of the galaxy CRISTAL-02, with a huge plume of cold gas extending away from it. This plume is almost as long as the galaxy itself, which is a telltale sign that gas is being driven out of the galaxy.
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