Oxygen found in distant galaxy rewrites evolution theories
The cosmos hides many secrets, and the latest discoveries continue to surprise even experts. Scientists have detected oxygen in the most distant known galaxy, JADES-GS-z14-0. Two independent research teams achieved this using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). "It is like finding an adolescent where you would only expect babies," said one of the researchers.
Scientists made a groundbreaking discovery by identifying oxygen in the most distant known galaxy, JADES-GS-z14-0. Two independent research teams, using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), confirmed the presence of this element, prompting a reconsideration of current theories about the pace of galaxy evolution.
A new look at galaxy evolution
According to the European Southern Observatory (ESO), two independent teams of astronomers detected oxygen in the most distant of the known galaxies - JADES-GS-z14-0. It is located 13.4 billion light-years from Earth. We observe it at a time when the universe was only 300 million years old. The presence of oxygen in this galaxy indicates that its chemical composition evolved faster than existing models predicted.
"It is like finding an adolescent where you would only expect babies" - said Sander Schouws from the Leiden Observatory, the first author of a paper to be published in "The Astrophysical Journal." The research results indicate that the galaxy formed rapidly and matured quickly, adding to evidence for faster-than-expected galaxy formation.
"The galaxy is already mature in the infant universe"
ESO experts explain that galaxies typically begin life full of young stars, primarily composed of light elements such as hydrogen and helium. Only as stars evolve do they create heavier elements, including oxygen, which spread throughout the galaxy after a star dies.
It had been thought that at the age of 300 million years, the universe was still too young to possess galaxies full of heavy elements. However, recent studies indicate that JADES-GS-z14-0 has about ten times more than expected.
"I was astonished by the unexpected results because they opened a new view on the first phases of galaxy evolution," said Stefano Carniani from the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa, the first author of an article accepted for publication in "Astronomy & Astrophysics." "The evidence that a galaxy is already mature in the infant universe raises questions about when and how galaxies formed."
Distance of the galaxy from Earth
The discovery of oxygen also enabled precise determination of the galaxy's distance from Earth with an accuracy of 0.005%. "This level of precision – analogous to being accurate within 5 cm over a distance of 1 km – helps refine our understanding of distant galaxy properties," stated Eleonora Parlanti, co-author of the publication in "Astronomy & Astrophysics."
The JADES-GS-z14-0 galaxy was initially discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), but it was ALMA that confirmed and accurately established its vast distance.
This highlights the remarkable collaboration between ALMA and JWST in revealing the formation and development of the earliest galaxies, points out Prof. Rychard Bouwens from the Leiden Observatory.
