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Galaxies like the Milky Way grow by merging with smaller galaxies over billions of years, unlike dwarf galaxies, which have long been thought to lack the heft to attract mass and grow in the same way. New observations challenge this view, suggesting that even dwarf galaxies can accrete mass from other small galaxies.

Engineering researchers have developed carbon capture systems that use molecules called quinones, dissolved in water, as their capturing compounds. A new study provides critical insights into the mechanisms of carbon capture in these safer, gentler, water-based electrochemical systems, paving the way for their further refinement.

One of the most exciting developments in modern astronomy is how astronomers can now observe and study the earliest galaxies in the Universe. This is due to next-generation observatories like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), with its sophisticated suite of infrared instruments and spectrometers, and advances in interferometry – a technique that combines multiple sources of light to get a clearer picture of astronomical objects. Thanks to these observations, astronomers can learn more about how the earliest galaxies in the Universe evolved to become what we see today.

Using Webb and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international team led by researchers from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) successfully detected atomic transitions coming from galaxy GHZ2 (aka. GLASS-z12), located 13.4 billion light-years away. Their study not only set a new record for the farthest detection of these elements This is the first time such emissions have been detected in galaxies more than 13 billion light-years away and offers the first direct insights into the properties of the earliest galaxies in the Universe.

The galaxy was first identified in July 2022 by the Grism Lens-Amplified Survey from Space (GLASS) observing program using the JWST’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). A month later, follow-up observations by ALMA confirmed that the galaxy had a spectrographic redshift of more than z = 12, making it one of the earliest and most distant galaxies ever observed. The exquisite observations by both observatories have allowed astronomers to gain fresh insights into the nature of the earliest galaxies in the Universe.

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Credit: C. Padilla, NRAO/AUI/NSF

Jorge Zavala, an astronomer at the East Asian ALMA Regional Center at the NAOJ, was the lead author of this study. As he explained in an ALMA-NAOJ press release:

“We pointed the more than forty 12-m antennas of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the 6.5-m James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) for several hours at a sky position that would appear totally empty to the naked human eye, aiming to catch a signal from one of the most distant astronomical objects known to date. And [we] successfully detected the emission from excited atoms of different elements such as Hydrogen and Oxygen from an epoch never reached before.”

Confirming and characterizing the physical properties of distant galaxies is vital to testing our current theories of galaxy formation and evolution. However, insight into their internal physics requires detailed and sensitive astronomical observations and spectroscopy – the absorption and emission of light by matter- allowing scientists to detect specific chemical elements and compounds. Naturally, these observations were challenging for the earliest galaxies, given that they are the most distant astronomical objects ever studied.

Nevertheless, the ALMA observations detected the emission line associated with doubly ionized oxygen (O III), confirming that the galaxy existed about 367 million years after the Big Bang. Combined with data obtained by Webb’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) instruments, the team was able to characterize this object effectively. Based on their observations, the team discovered that GHZ2 was experiencing extreme bursts of star formation 13.4 billion years ago under conditions that differ considerably from what astronomers have seen in star-forming galaxies over the past few decades.

For instance, the relative abundance of heavier elements in this galaxy (metallicity) is significantly lower than that of most galaxies studied. This was expected given the dearth of heavier elements during the early Universe when Population III stars existed, which were overwhelmingly composed of hydrogen and helium. These stars were massive, hot, and short-lived, lasting only a few million years before they went supernova. Similarly, the team attributed GHZ2’s high luminosity to its Population III stars, which are absent from more evolved galaxies.

The scattered stars of the globular cluster NGC 6355 are strewn across this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, E. Noyola, R. Cohen

This luminosity is amplified by the fact that GHZ2, which is a few hundred million times the mass of the Sun, occupies a region of around 100 parsecs (~325 light-years). This indicates that the galaxy has a high stellar density similar to that of Globular Clusters observed in the Milky Way and neighboring galaxies. Other similarities include low metallicity, the anomalous abundances of certain chemicals, high star formation rates, high stellar mass surface density, and more. As such, studying galaxies like GHZ2 could help astronomers explain the origin of globular clusters, which remains a mystery.

Said Tom Bakx, a researcher at Chalmers University, these observations could pave the way for future studies of ancient galaxies that reveal the earliest phases of galaxy formation:

“This study is a crown on the multi-year endeavor to understand galaxies in the early Universe. The analysis of multiple emission lines enabled several key tests of galaxy properties, and demonstrates the excellent capabilities of ALMA through an exciting, powerful synergy with other telescopes like the JWST.”

Further Reading: ALMA, AJL

The post Webb and ALMA Team Up to Study Primeval Galaxy appeared first on Universe Today.

By using MRI brain scans to identify regions linked to hand movements and sensations, researchers were able to restore a sense of touch to two people with paralysis – and one was able to control and feel a robot arm using his thoughts

Droughts lasting multiple years are becoming more common and extreme around the globe, expanding by about 50,000 square kilometres annually

Pandora, a small satellite mission poised to provide in-depth study of at least 20 known planets orbiting distant stars to determine the composition of their atmospheres cleared an important milestone by completing the spacecraft bus, which acts as the spacecraft's 'brains.'

The chemical composition of a material alone sometimes reveals little about its properties. The decisive factor is often the arrangement of the molecules in the atomic lattice structure or on the surface of the material. Materials science utilizes this factor to create certain properties by applying individual atoms and molecules to surfaces with the aid of high-performance microscopes. Using artificial intelligence, a new research group now wants to take the construction of nanostructures to a new level.

The chemical composition of a material alone sometimes reveals little about its properties. The decisive factor is often the arrangement of the molecules in the atomic lattice structure or on the surface of the material. Materials science utilizes this factor to create certain properties by applying individual atoms and molecules to surfaces with the aid of high-performance microscopes. Using artificial intelligence, a new research group now wants to take the construction of nanostructures to a new level.

The robotics industry should be creating robots that could be reprogrammed and repurposed for other tasks once its life span is completed, researchers have advised.

The robotics industry should be creating robots that could be reprogrammed and repurposed for other tasks once its life span is completed, researchers have advised.

Scientists have used deep learning to design new proteins that bind to complexes involving other small molecules like hormones or drugs, opening up a world of possibilities in the computational design of molecular interactions for biomedicine.

Researchers applied the mathematical theory of synchronization to clarify how recurrent neural networks (RNNs) generate predictions, revealing a certain map, based on the generalized synchronization, that yields correct target values. They showed that conventional reservoir computing (RC), a type of RNN, can be viewed as a linear approximation, and introduced a 'generalized readout' incorporating further order approximations. Using a chaotic time-series forecasting task, they demonstrated that this approach dramatically enhances both prediction accuracy and robustness.

Paper-thin optical lenses simple enough to mass produce like microchips could enable a new generation of compact optical devices. Researchers have fabricated and tested flat lenses called Fresnel zone plates (FZPs), but did so for the first time using only common semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the i-line stepper, for the first time. These flat lenses currently lack the efficiency of in-production lenses, but have the potential to reshape optics for industries ranging from astronomy to health care and consumer electronics.

Paper-thin optical lenses simple enough to mass produce like microchips could enable a new generation of compact optical devices. Researchers have fabricated and tested flat lenses called Fresnel zone plates (FZPs), but did so for the first time using only common semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the i-line stepper, for the first time. These flat lenses currently lack the efficiency of in-production lenses, but have the potential to reshape optics for industries ranging from astronomy to health care and consumer electronics.

Data collected by wearable technology can identify disease flare-ups up to seven weeks in advance.

Data collected by wearable technology can identify disease flare-ups up to seven weeks in advance.

In 2018, a galaxy about 270 million light-years away from Earth exhibited a major increase in activity. It quieted down again by 2020 -- only to dramatically increase its output again in 2023. At that time, it began emitting radio waves at 60 times the previous intensity over just a few months, behavior which has never been monitored in real time for a supermassive black hole. Imaging also clearly shows a pair of oppositely directed plasma jets forming near the black hole and expanding outward over the course of 2023 -- 2024. The observation of jet formation in real time is another first. The data will help scientists understand how and under what conditions black holes produce jets.

Researchers have developed a novel 6D pose dataset designed to improve robotic grasping accuracy and adaptability in industrial settings. The dataset, which integrates RGB and depth images, demonstrates significant potential to enhance the precision of robots performing pick-and-place tasks in dynamic environments.

Researchers have developed a novel 6D pose dataset designed to improve robotic grasping accuracy and adaptability in industrial settings. The dataset, which integrates RGB and depth images, demonstrates significant potential to enhance the precision of robots performing pick-and-place tasks in dynamic environments.

A research team has discovered another piece in the puzzle of the formation of the Moon and water on Earth. The prevailing theory was that the Moon was the result of a collision between the early Earth and the protoplanet Theia. New measurements indicate that the Moon formed from material ejected from the Earth's mantle with little contribution from Theia. In addition, the findings support the idea that water could have reached the Earth early in its development and may not have been added by late impacts.