Astronomers have observed what is currently the oldest known “dead” galaxy, thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope.
The discovery by the University of Cambridge reveals a galaxy that stopped forming stars more than 13 billion years ago, when the universe was barely 700 million years old.
“A galaxy is dead when it no longer forms stars,” the study's co-author Dr Francesco D’Eugenio told The National.
“This is the earliest example known of a dead galaxy millions of years ago, when the universe was very young and cold gas [from which stars are born] was abundant in and around galaxies”.
“It is surprising to see a galaxy that is not forming stars, during an epoch when other galaxies were bursting with star formation.”
The study, detailed in Nature, explored how star formation ceases and the effects on galaxy evolution.
This discovery not only challenges previous models based on the modern universe but also opens new avenues for understanding the early universe's complexities.
The researchers found this celestial anomaly in a tiny fraction of the Goods South Field, highlighting it in a false-colour JWST image.
The galaxy in question appears to have undergone a brief but intense phase of star formation before abruptly going quiet.
“The first few hundred million years of the universe were a very active phase, with lots of gas clouds collapsing to form new stars,” said lead author Tobias Looser, from the Kavli Institute for Cosmology at the University of Cambridge.
Theories abound as to why star formation ceases in galaxies, ranging from the influence of supermassive black holes to the rapid consumption of gas necessary for creating new stars.
“Stoppage of star formation is a crucial stage of galaxy evolution; in addition, understanding when and how galaxies stop forming stars is a crucial step towards understanding how star formation and supermassive black hole accretion work,” Dr D’Eugenio said.
However, this particular galaxy's early and abrupt transition to dormancy is unique, suggesting that models based on more recent periods in the universe's history may need re-evaluation.
“We’re not sure if any of those scenarios can explain what we’ve now seen with Webb,” said co-author Roberto Maiolino, professor of experimental astrophysics at the Kavli Institute for Cosmology.
This ancient galaxy's discovery was made possible by the JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (Jades), which revealed that its star-forming period lasted between 30 million and 90 million years before halting suddenly 10 million to 20 million years before its observation by the JWST.
“We simply did not expect to find dead galaxies so early; this means that our theories – which are rooted in observations of the nearby universe – do not quite capture the higher energy of processes in the early Universe,” Dr D’Eugenio said.
Despite its current “dead” status, astronomers do not discount the possibility that the galaxy could have reignited its star-forming engine in the billions of years since it was last observed.
“All the things that enable us to exist – the oxygen and nitrogen in the air we breath, the carbon in our food and fuel, the iron in our tools, the calcium in our bones – all these elements were synthesised in the core of stars,” Dr D'Eugenio said.
“I find it incredibly uniting to think that the matter that makes you and I, once, may have been in the core of the same star. Studying the earliest galaxies is a bit [like] studying our common origins”.
The search is now on for more galaxies from the early universe to better understand the mechanisms behind the cessation of star formation, which could reveal that galaxies might “die” and then spring back to life, adding a new layer of complexity to our cosmic understanding.
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Results
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: Celtic Prince, David Liska (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer).
7.05pm: Conditions Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Commanding, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
7.40pm: Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Grand Argentier, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.15pm: Handicap Dh170,000 (D) 2,200m
Winner: Arch Gold, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: The Entisar Listed Dh265,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Military Law, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
9.25pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Ibn Malik, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi.
10pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
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65
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The specs
Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel
Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power: 1877bhp
Torque: 2300Nm
Price: Dh7,500,00
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets