An international team of astronomers has uncovered the formation process of spheroids in starburst galaxies from the early universe!🌌🔭
Using the powerful Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope, the team observed over 100 luminous galaxies from the “cosmic noon” era (8 to 12 billion years ago), when star formation was at its peak. The surprising findings? The analysis showed that most of these highly star-forming galaxies were intrinsically spherical rather than disk-shaped, challenging previous theories about how galaxy structures form. 💫
The study reveals that intense star formation and galaxy interactions were key drivers behind the formation of these spheroids, which later played a crucial role in the evolution of galaxies. This breakthrough provides the first solid evidence of how these unique structures might have shaped the universe we see today. 🪐
The discovery was led by Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and involved significant participation from CEA Paris-Saclay and University of Tokyo.
