JWST Unveils 10-Billion-Year-Old Secret Behind Galaxy Formation

Quick Summary

• Galactic Disk Composition: Disk galaxies have thin disks containing younger, metal-rich stars and thick disks with older, metal-poor stars. These components help astronomers study galaxy formation and evolution.
• James Webb Space telescope (JWST): The JWST was launched in 2021 and has enabled researchers to observe vertical disk structures in distant edge-on galaxies for the first time.
• Study Overview: An international team analyzed 111 JWST images to examine disk structures in galaxies as far back as 10 billion years ago.

– Findings show that earlier galaxies had single thick disks; later epochs added thin disks within these thick structures.
– More massive galaxies formed thin disks earlier due to efficient gas star conversion.- Thin disk formation timelines align with the milky Way’s progress (approx. 8 billion years ago).

• Formation Process: Observations suggest turbulent gas-rich early galactic disks led to thick stellar disk formation through intense star creation. Over time, stabilized conditions allowed the emergence of thin stellar disks.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The study offers critical insights into how galactic formations occured over billions of years, establishing a clearer picture of cosmic history by comparing distant galaxies with our own Milky Way. For India’s growing astronomical community-already involved in cutting-edge space explorations-a detailed understanding of universe origins reinforces its potential role in global collaborative research efforts.India’s commitment to projects like ASTROSAT demonstrates expertise that might integrate well with observations from advanced telescopes like JWST or related studies utilizing data from other sources such as ALMA. With advancements like ISRO’s aim toward stronger interstellar programs, this research inspires new possibilities for contributions to deep-sky science while cultivating public interest across educational institutions nationwide.

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