A new study of the Milky Way’s central region, the Brick, using JWST reveals a paradox: high levels of CO ice but low star formation rates. These discoveries challenge established theories of star formation and suggest a reassessment of molecular processes within galaxies. (Artist’s concept) Credit: SciTechDaily.com
Adam Ginsberg, an astronomer at the University of Florida, james webb space telescope To explore the mysteries of the galaxy.
In a recent study led by University of Florida Astronomer Adam Ginsburg has shed light on a mysterious dark region at the center of the Earth with a groundbreaking discovery. milky way. These turbulent gas clouds, playfully nicknamed “bricks” because of their opacity, have sparked a lively debate in the scientific community for years.
To decipher its secrets, Ginsburg and a research team that included university graduate students Desmond Jeff, Savannah Gramse, and Alyssa Vratek turned to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The meaning of their observations is of astrophysical journal, monumental. This discovery not only reveals a paradox at the center of our galaxy, but also points to the critical need to reevaluate established theories of star formation.
brick mystery
Bricks are one of the most interesting and well-studied regions in galaxies because of their unexpectedly low star formation rates. This star has been defying scientists’ predictions for decades. Because it is a cloud filled with dense gas, it should be ripe for the birth of new stars. However, star formation rates are shown to be unexpectedly low.
The research team used JWST’s advanced infrared capabilities to peer into the bricks and discovered that they contained large amounts of frozen carbon monoxide (CO). There is much more CO ice than previously expected, which has important implications for our understanding of star formation processes.
According to Ginsberg, no one knew how much ice there was at the center of the galaxy. “Our observations convincingly show that there is so much ice there that all future observations must take it into account,” he said.
Stars typically emerge when the gas cools, and the presence of large amounts of CO ice should suggest that there are regions of active star formation within the brick. But despite this abundance of CO, Ginsberg and his research team discovered that its structure defies expectations. The gas in the brick is warmer than the equivalent cloud.
The center of the galaxy is full of stars. In this image he has over 500,000 stars. Using JWST’s special filters and a bit of Photoshop, the team was able to remove the stars and reveal only filamentous nebulae of hot gas penetrating the galaxy’s interior. (See image below with stars removed.) Credit: Adam Pinsburg
An image of just a filament nebula of hot gas penetrating the interior of the galaxy. The bright regions are hot hydrogen plasma, glowing with energy from massive stars. A brick is a dark area where that glowing plasma is blocked. Along the edges of the brick, the shine is more blue. This blue appearance is caused by the CO ice blocking red light and letting only blue light through.Credit: Adam Ginsburg
Challenging established theories
These observations call into question our understanding of the abundance of CO at the center of our galaxy and the critical gas-to-dust ratio there. According to our findings, both indicators appear to be lower than previously thought.
“Previously limited to observing gases, JWST opens new avenues for measuring molecules in the solid phase (ice),” Ginsburg said. “This new perspective gives us a more complete picture of where molecules are located and how they are transported.”
Traditionally, CO observations have been limited to gas emissions. To reveal the distribution of CO ice within this vast cloud, the researchers needed strong backlighting from stars and hot gas. Their discovery goes beyond the limits of previous measurements, which were limited to about 100 stars. The new results cover more than 10,000 of his stars and provide valuable insight into the nature of interstellar ice.
Dr. Adam Ginsburg.Credit: Adam Ginsburg
This discovery also suggests that the molecules that exist in our current solar system are likely to have formed our cosmic environment as ice on tiny dust grains that at some point combined to form planets and comets. It also represents a leap forward in our understanding of the origins of these molecules.
These are just the team’s first findings from a small portion of Brick’s JWST observations. Looking to the future, Ginsburg has her sights set on a broader investigation of celestial ice.
“For example, we don’t know the relative amounts of carbon dioxide, water, carbon dioxide, complex molecules,” Ginsburg says. “Using spectroscopy, we can measure them and get some idea of how the chemistry progresses in these clouds over time.”
advances in space exploration
The advent of JWST and its advanced filters has given Ginsburg and his colleagues the most promising opportunity yet to expand space exploration.
In a recent study led by University of Florida astronomer Adam Ginsburg, a groundbreaking discovery sheds light on a mysterious dark region at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. These turbulent gas clouds, playfully nicknamed “bricks” because of their opacity, have sparked a lively debate in the scientific community for years.
To decipher its secrets, Ginsburg and a research team that included university graduate students Desmond Jeff, Savannah Gramse, and Alyssa Vratek turned to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The meaning of their observations is astrophysical journal, monumental. This discovery not only reveals a paradox at the center of our galaxy, but also points to the critical need to reevaluate established theories of star formation.
Bricks are one of the most interesting and well-studied regions in galaxies because of their unexpectedly low star formation rates. This star has been defying scientists’ predictions for decades. Because it is a cloud filled with dense gas, it should be ripe for the birth of new stars. However, star formation rates are shown to be unexpectedly low.
The research team used JWST’s advanced infrared capabilities to peer into the bricks and discovered that they contained large amounts of frozen carbon monoxide (CO). There is much more CO ice than previously expected, which has important implications for our understanding of star formation processes.
According to Ginsberg, no one knew how much ice there was at the center of the galaxy. “Our observations convincingly show that there is so much ice there that all future observations must take it into account,” he said.
Stars typically emerge when the gas cools, and the presence of large amounts of CO ice should suggest that there are regions of active star formation within the brick. But despite this abundance of CO, Ginsberg and his research team discovered that its structure defies expectations. The gas in the brick is warmer than the equivalent cloud.
These observations call into question our understanding of the abundance of CO at the center of our galaxy and the critical gas-to-dust ratio there. According to our findings, both indicators appear to be lower than previously thought.
“JWST opens new avenues for measuring molecules in the solid phase (ice), previously limited to observing gases,” Ginsberg said. “This new perspective gives us a more complete picture of where molecules are located and how they are transported.”
Traditionally, CO observations have been limited to gas emissions. To reveal the distribution of CO ice within this vast cloud, the researchers needed strong backlighting from stars and hot gas. Their discovery goes beyond the limits of previous measurements, which were limited to about 100 stars. The new results cover more than 10,000 of his stars and provide valuable insight into the nature of interstellar ice.
This discovery also suggests that the molecules that exist in our current solar system are likely to have formed our cosmic environment as ice on tiny dust grains that at some point combined to form planets and comets. It also represents a leap forward in our understanding of the origins of these molecules.
These are just the team’s first findings from a small portion of Brick’s JWST observations. Looking to the future, Ginsburg has her sights set on a broader investigation of celestial ice.
“For example, we don’t know the relative amounts of carbon dioxide, water, carbon dioxide, complex molecules,” Ginsburg says. “Using spectroscopy, we can measure them and get some idea of how the chemistry progresses in these clouds over time.”
The advent of JWST and its advanced filters has given Ginsburg and his colleagues the most promising opportunity yet to expand space exploration.
Reference: “JWST reveals widespread CO ice and gas absorption in the galactic central cloud G0.253+0.016” Adam Ginsberg, Ashley T. Burns, Carla D. Battersby, Alyssa Vratek, Savannah Gramse, Jonathan D. Henshaw, Desmond Jeff, Xing Lu, EAC Mills, Daniel L. Walker, December 4, 2023. astrophysical journal.
DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/acfc34
