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Distant Galaxies Challenge Our Understanding of Star Formation
Real Clear Science ^
| 22 Jan, 2018
| Marie Martig
Posted on 01/22/2018 3:50:38 PM PST by MtnClimber
The most massive galaxies in our neighbourhood formed their stars billions of years ago, early in the history of the universe. At the present day, they produce very few new stars. Astronomers have long believed that is because they contain very little gas a key ingredient necessary to produce stars. But our new study, published in Nature Astronomy, is now challenging this long held view.
Through probing the extreme environments of faraway massive galaxies, we can learn not only about their evolution and the history of the universe, but most importantly about the fundamental processes regulating the formation of stars. Given that stars produce most of the different types of atoms in our bodies and the world around us, understanding how they were formed is essential if we are to know where we came from.
Galaxies exist in two main types: disc and elliptical. Disc galaxies, including the Milky Way, are flat and contain large reservoirs of gas that they use to continually form stars. Elliptical galaxies are massive, round and stopped forming stars long ago. Most theories assume that at some point elliptical galaxies lost their gas reservoirs, which caused the rate of star formation to drop.
Distant light Our team investigated whether there are other ways in which distant, elliptical galaxies could have lost their ability to form stars. Distance to galaxies are measured by how bright its stars are, in light years (defined as how long it takes the light to reach us in one year). As it takes so long for the light from these faraway galaxies to reach us, we can work out that they appear to us as they were 10 billion years ago.
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearscience.com ...
TOPICS: Astronomy; Science
KEYWORDS: astronomy; catastrophism; galaxy; haltonarp; science; stringtheory; xplanets
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To: MtnClimber
Spiral galaxies are more planar so the gas would be more concentrated. An elliptical galaxy would not have the gravitational distribution to concentrate gas.
2
posted on
01/22/2018 3:52:38 PM PST
by
MtnClimber
(For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
To: MtnClimber
"Elliptical galaxies are massive, round and stopped forming stars long ago."If they are round, why are they named 'elliptical'?
3
posted on
01/22/2018 3:54:37 PM PST
by
norwaypinesavage
(The stone age didn't end because we ran out of stones.)
To: norwaypinesavage
I noticed that too. Some artifact of General Relativity, no doubt.
4
posted on
01/22/2018 3:58:19 PM PST
by
MtnClimber
(For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
To: MtnClimber
... understanding how they were formed is essential if we are to know where we came from.
Since this solar system seems to be an anomalous, finding out how this system was formed will not be found by comparison to the majority of other systems.
And certainly will now tell anyone where we came from -
5
posted on
01/22/2018 4:21:27 PM PST
by
PIF
(They came for me and mine ... now it is your turn ...)
To: MtnClimber
“So why is that? Nine years ago, I predicted this possibility from numerical simulations I had run as a PhD student. I found that in disc galaxies, the gravitational pull of the stars helps the gas to collapse to form new stars. In contrast, the gas in elliptical galaxies feels a weaker pull from the stars and does not collapse so easily. It is fascinating that the global morphology of a galaxy can control what happens at the smallest scales.”
6
posted on
01/22/2018 4:25:11 PM PST
by
mlo
To: norwaypinesavage
"If they are round, why are they named 'elliptical'?" A circle is a special case of an ellipse.
7
posted on
01/22/2018 4:25:59 PM PST
by
mlo
To: MtnClimber
Astronomy and the cosmos always are interesting, but this story sounds more like a plea for money
8
posted on
01/22/2018 4:26:40 PM PST
by
buckalfa
(I was so much older then, but I'm younger than that now.)
To: norwaypinesavage
For that matter, eliptical galaxies are also not necessarily massive. Many of the small neighbors of the mliky way are eliptical.
9
posted on
01/22/2018 4:26:42 PM PST
by
dangus
To: mlo
And I think elliptical galaxies could primarily be formed by merging spiral galaxies with different axial planes. Just like what will happen between the Milky Way and Andromeda in about 3 billion years.
10
posted on
01/22/2018 4:39:48 PM PST
by
MtnClimber
(For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
To: norwaypinesavage
Most round ones not seen from the perpendicular appear as ellipses from earth.
LP
11
posted on
01/22/2018 5:01:07 PM PST
by
lagrange point1
(Space is no longer the final frontier)
To: MtnClimber
Distance to galaxies are measured by how bright its stars are, in light years (defined as how long it takes the light to reach us in one year). Orly?
12
posted on
01/22/2018 5:04:54 PM PST
by
sargon
("If the President doesn't drain the Swamp, the Swamp will drain the President.")
To: lagrange point1
"Most round ones not seen from the perpendicular appear as ellipses from earth."So do ellipses.
13
posted on
01/22/2018 5:14:36 PM PST
by
norwaypinesavage
(The stone age didn't end because we ran out of stones.)
To: MtnClimber
Has this been cleared through Bill Nye?
14
posted on
01/22/2018 5:30:52 PM PST
by
SgtHooper
(If you remember the 60's, YOU WEREN'T THERE!)
To: SgtHooper
Has this been cleared through Bill Nye?
No. He would say that supernovas that destroy all planets near them are caused by Trump, Global warming and rascism.
15
posted on
01/22/2018 6:14:52 PM PST
by
MtnClimber
(For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; disndat; KoRn; Grammy; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; dayglored; ...
Thanks MtnClimber. This one looks like it will be of interest to my old version of the APoD list, so here goes.
16
posted on
01/22/2018 8:21:27 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(www.tapatalk.com/groups/godsgravesglyphs/, forum.darwincentral.org, www.gopbriefingroom.com)
To: KevinDavis; annie laurie; Knitting A Conundrum; Viking2002; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Mmogamer; ...
17
posted on
01/22/2018 8:22:50 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(www.tapatalk.com/groups/godsgravesglyphs/, forum.darwincentral.org, www.gopbriefingroom.com)
To: 6SJ7; AdmSmith; AFPhys; Arkinsaw; allmost; aristotleman; autumnraine; bajabaja; ...
18
posted on
01/22/2018 8:22:56 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(www.tapatalk.com/groups/godsgravesglyphs/, forum.darwincentral.org, www.gopbriefingroom.com)
To: 75thOVI; Abathar; agrace; aimhigh; Alice in Wonderland; AndrewC; aragorn; aristotleman; ...
19
posted on
01/22/2018 8:23:01 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(www.tapatalk.com/groups/godsgravesglyphs/, forum.darwincentral.org, www.gopbriefingroom.com)
To: mlo
A circle is a special case of an ellipse. Scary how long ago I learned that. A good radome vendor had published a book: "Conic Sections" that had great info on how many curves were obtained from conic sections. Lost my copy decades ago. Name of Wally Downs, was Hugh Downs brother. Not real sure who Hugh was, but do recall him telling me that.
20
posted on
01/22/2018 9:21:16 PM PST
by
doorgunner69
(Give me the liberty to take care of my own security..........)
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