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An international team of astronomers has observed a “cold stream” of molecular gas outside the galaxy, confirming theories of star formation inside galaxies. In their study published in the journal Sciences, the group used the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) radio telescope array to focus on the stream and learn more about its nature. University of Texas astronomer Caitlin Casey published a perspective piece about the team’s work in the same issue of the journal.
For many years, astronomers have suggested that cold streams of gases form in space and sometimes fall into galaxies, where they fuel star formation. But proving the validity of such theories has been difficult because of the cold nature of such currents – their accuracy is very low. Also, their large size makes zooming in to see them difficult. Still, despite these BarriersIn this new effort, the team found evidence of a stream feeding a galaxy called 4C 41.17.
To find the stream, the research team had to pull ALMA’s collection of radio satellites together as closely as possible. This allowed the stars to be seen in the stream while still observing the stream as a whole. They were able to measure its length at half a million light years. Researchers believe the stream is made mostly of carbon, though they haven’t been able to confirm its composition or source. What they could see was that the stream was plunging into the galaxy, just as the theories predicted.
The researchers plan to continue studying the current by returning to ALMA, and possibly also by using the New Mexico Very Large Array, in hopes of finding Carbon Monoxide in the stream, which is also hypothesized. They’re also hoping to find more streaming properties that can help find others of this kind. They plan to study the physics associated with accretion leading to star formation within galaxies.
more information:
Bjorn HC Emonts, a cosmic stream of atomic carbon gas connected to a massive radio galaxy at redshift 3.8, Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.1126/science.abh2150. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abh2150
Caitlin M. Casey, Cold Cosmic Fuel Streams for Galaxies, Sciences (2023). DOI: 10.1126/science.adh1663. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adh1663
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the quote: ‘cold stream’ of molecular gas observed outside galaxy, confirming star formation theories (2023, March 31) Retrieved March 31, 2023 from https://phys.org/news/2023-03-cold-stream -molecular-gas -galaxy.html
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