#cosmic_structures

[phonemantra-blog]

The Hubble telescope captured the galaxy NGC 685, made up of more than 100 million stars, appearing to orbit in the depths of space The average galaxy NGC 685 contains at least 100 million stars. About 58 million light-years from Earth, galaxy NGC 685 appears to be orbiting in the depths of space. The Hubble Space Telescope image, the last of six released as part of Hubble's Galaxy Week, shows the galaxy with its spiral arms dotted with countless pockets of bright blue regions called star clusters. Closer to the center of the galaxy, there are also many twisted red wisps, representing bands of gas and dust where new generations of stars form over eons. [caption id="attachment_69171" align="aligncenter" width="598"] galaxy[/caption] NGC 685: a galaxy home to millions of stars surprised Hubble NASA's accompanying description of the photo of the galaxy NGC 685 says it is located in the constellation Eridanus, measures about 60,000 light-years, and may contain at least 100 million stars. In comparison, the Milky Way is estimated to consist of approximately 100 billion stars. Despite the difference in size and number of stars, both galaxies have an interesting feature: they have a central bar that crosses the cores of the galaxies. In this image of the galaxy NGC 685, this red-flecked bar can be seen stretching horizontally within a small circle of gas and dust. Its intense brilliance is due to the many stars concentrated in a relatively small area. Previous studies have shown that such bars are observed in about two-thirds of spiral galaxies. Gas and other material flows into the galactic cores through these bridges, indicating that the galaxy's "formative period" is over, astronomers say. Although little time has been devoted to studying NGC 685, studying bar galaxies like this one helps astronomers understand how galaxies evolve and whether the process is different for our galaxy.

[phonemantra-blog]

How galaxy interactions affect their shape For a long time, astronomers have been grappling with the mystery of the rarity of spiral galaxies, including the Milky Way—why do elliptical galaxies make up most of the universe? A recent study using computer models found that the rarity of spiral galaxies is due to natural interactions between galaxies within the galactic plane, which smooth out potential spiral structures and lead to the formation of elliptical galaxies. [caption id="attachment_84315" align="aligncenter" width="650"] spiral galaxies[/caption] Stars in spiral galaxies like the Milky Way usually move in circular orbits around the center of their galaxies, but when two galaxies of comparable mass are close to each other, their orbits become unstable and their motion becomes chaotic. This leads to redistribution and mixing of stars, which ultimately leads to the disappearance of spiral structures and the formation of elliptical galaxies. A simulation of the evolution of the universe explains why spiral galaxies are so rare The interactions of large galaxies have other consequences. Not only do they disrupt the orbits of stars, but they can also lead to intense star formation, leading to the birth of many new stars.  Black holes, found at the centers of most large galaxies, can also be activated by galaxy interactions, which can slow the rate of new star formation after a merger and make the galaxy's shape more elliptical. The growth of the Milky Way occurs due to the absorption of smaller, dwarf galaxies. However, due to their small size, these galaxies do not significantly influence the shape of our Galaxy. However, it is expected that the upcoming collision of the Milky Way with the Andromeda Galaxy in four billion years may have a final impact on the structure of our Galaxy. Andromeda has comparable or even greater mass compared to our galaxy. Models predict that as it evolves and changes shape, the possibility of an elliptical galaxy returning to its original spiral shape is probably not feasible. In spiral galaxies with sufficient gas reserves, the formation of new stars is possible, which can fill the spiral structures. However, elliptical galaxies usually do not have enough gas for such processes. Currently, a group of researchers is working to improve computer models to more accurately match the observed processes. This will help improve our understanding of the universe and perhaps identify inconsistencies or errors in the current knowledge base.

[phonemantra-blog]

Astronomers have discovered a galaxy that already had a high concentration of metals a billion years after the Big Bang. Early galaxies contain mostly hydrogen and helium, but this distant galaxy is anomalously rich in metals The universe is becoming more metallic over time: in its younger days, it was composed mostly of hydrogen and helium. But recently, researchers discovered a galaxy that was well ahead of this trend and, a billion years after the Big Bang, had accumulated a high content of metals. Almost all atoms heavier than helium originate in stars, the “forges of the cosmos,” which transform primordial materials into the many different elements we see today. These "forges" process the finite amount of hydrogen and helium in the Universe. As a result, the total supply of hydrogen decreases over time, while the proportion of heavier elements (which astronomers call "metals" regardless of their actual metallic properties) increases. When astronomers look back and observe the early stages of the universe, they expect to see mostly pure hydrogen and helium. [caption id="attachment_68900" align="aligncenter" width="780"] galaxy[/caption] This prediction is generally supported by observations, and when looking at galaxies created in the first 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang, researchers most often observe clouds of gas that contain almost no metals. However, a collaboration led by Jianhao Huyang of the University of South Carolina recently discovered a contradiction to this convention: their observations of a hazy galaxy created a billion years ago showed a metal fraction higher than predicted for such a young source by more than two orders of magnitude. Astronomers have discovered a galaxy that set the trend for a high proportion of metals before anyone else Huyang and his colleagues made this discovery by observing a distant quasar called SDSS J002526.84-014532.5, which has a redshift of 5.07. Between the Earth and this source, there is a galaxy with a redshift of 4.74. As light from a quasar passes through the diffuse gas of a galaxy on its way to our telescopes, certain wavelengths of radiation are preferentially absorbed by the molecules and atoms they encounter along the way. By measuring the relative amount of this absorption, the researchers were able to determine which elements were trying to block the path of light and how dense they were. They discovered that the galaxy contains significant amounts of carbon, oxygen, magnesium, and other heavy elements. Just 1.2 billion years after the Big Bang, this galaxy already had a greater relative amount of carbon and oxygen than our own Sun, which was born many billions of years later. Models of early galaxy formation predict a significantly lower proportion of metals, even taking into account the large uncertainties of described but not yet seen first-generation stars. Like many unexpected discoveries, the authors of the present study cannot yet explain what could lead to such a significant content of heavy elements. They acknowledge that this may be because looking at this particular direction may have passed through a patch of "developed" gas, and the galaxy as a whole may be as metal-poor as expected. However, in this case, they will not be able to explain how the light passed through such a small area with exactly the composition data obtained. It may be time to reconsider models of the chemical evolution of early galaxies, or there may be something special about this particular galaxy that remains hidden.

[phonemantra-blog]

The unexpected discovery has given rise to new theories about the mechanism by which phosphorus is formed without the outbursts of massive stars. The origin of life from “organic soup” is a complex process. This requires many different components assembled in one place and under the right conditions. Although the exact conditions are still a matter of debate, scientists have an idea of ​​what elements of the periodic table are needed. One important component is phosphorus, which was recently discovered on the outskirts of the Milky Way. The presence of this element among others is considered necessary for the formation of basic biochemical molecules. Therefore, the presence of phosphorus determines the boundaries of habitable zones in galaxies. Phosphorus is typically produced by the death of massive stars, making its presence at the outskirts of a galaxy a rare occurrence. However, the recent discovery of phosphorus in this area suggests that other mechanisms for its formation may exist. [caption id="attachment_85298" align="aligncenter" width="780"] Milky Way galaxy[/caption] “Phosphorus is an element that requires a special, catastrophic event to form. According to popular belief, phosphorus is formed as a result of supernova explosions of stars with a mass of at least 20 solar masses. They are the source of strong energetic emissions and a series of nucleosynthesis reactions that form not only phosphorus, but also many other heavy elements,” says astronomer and chemist Lucy Ziouris, who works at Arizona State University and Steward Observatory. This is the generally accepted view, and the discovery of phosphorus far from massive stars or supernova remnants suggests that there are other ways this element can be formed. All the elements we see around us are formed in stars. After the formation of the first atoms of the Universe from the primordial plasma, the atoms were mainly composed of hydrogen and helium, and all other elements appeared after the birth of the first stars. Stars play an important role in the fusion and combination of atoms in their cores, resulting in the formation of heavier elements. On the outskirts of the Milky Way galaxy The formation of elements in a star depends on its mass. Stars are the size of our Sun and are smaller able to support reactions that create light elements such as lithium and beryllium when hydrogen and helium combine. More massive stars can produce heavier elements such as oxygen and nitrogen. However, phosphorus is not produced during such reactions inside the star. Supernova explosions, accompanied by the death of massive stars, are one of the known mechanisms for the origin of phosphorus. Flares eject elements into space, scattering astromaterials into the interstellar medium, where they can be absorbed by new generations of stars, as well as comets and planets. Massive stars can only form in regions where there is enough material to feed them. As you move away from the center of the galaxy, the density of matter decreases - the outskirts of galaxies are usually populated by massive stars. So the presence of phosphorus in a cloud called WB89-621, located about 74,000 light-years from the center of the Milky Way, poses a mystery to astrochemists. “The discovery of phosphorus at the edge of the galaxy raises questions and adds an additional piece to our puzzle. The presence of phosphorus in this area suggests that the process of its formation is more complex and is not limited only to supernova explosions,” explains chemist Liliya Koelemey, collaborating with Arizona State University. There are two main explanations for this phenomenon. One of them is associated with the “galactic fountain” model, which assumes the movement of elements from the inner regions of the galaxy to the outer through supernova explosions, ejecting matter from the galactic disk into the halo and its subsequent cooling and return. However, this explanation is questionable, since observational data on galactic fountains is not yet sufficient. Another explanation involves the possibility of phosphorus being formed in the region around the core of less massive stars by capturing neutrons. Here, silicon isotopes can capture additional neutrons to form phosphorus. The discovery of phosphorus on the outskirts of the Milky Way is an exciting and important study, valuable for understanding the formation of life in the Universe. This element is the last of the NCHOPS - nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur - essential building blocks for the emergence of life and which define the habitable zones of a galaxy. Previously, astronomers had not paid much attention to the outskirts of galaxies in search of exoplanets with biomarkers, because they believed that regions far from the center of galaxies did not have enough phosphorus. However, this discovery allows us to expand the scope of searches.

[phonemantra-blog]

The unexpected discovery has given rise to new theories about the mechanism by which phosphorus is formed without the outbursts of massive stars. The origin of life from “organic soup” is a complex process. This requires many different components assembled in one place and under the right conditions. Although the exact conditions are still a matter of debate, scientists have an idea of ​​what elements of the periodic table are needed. One important component is phosphorus, which was recently discovered on the outskirts of the Milky Way. The presence of this element among others is considered necessary for the formation of basic biochemical molecules. Therefore, the presence of phosphorus determines the boundaries of habitable zones in galaxies. Phosphorus is typically produced by the death of massive stars, making its presence at the outskirts of a galaxy a rare occurrence. However, the recent discovery of phosphorus in this area suggests that other mechanisms for its formation may exist. [caption id="attachment_85298" align="aligncenter" width="780"] Milky Way galaxy[/caption] “Phosphorus is an element that requires a special, catastrophic event to form. According to popular belief, phosphorus is formed as a result of supernova explosions of stars with a mass of at least 20 solar masses. They are the source of strong energetic emissions and a series of nucleosynthesis reactions that form not only phosphorus, but also many other heavy elements,” says astronomer and chemist Lucy Ziouris, who works at Arizona State University and Steward Observatory. This is the generally accepted view, and the discovery of phosphorus far from massive stars or supernova remnants suggests that there are other ways this element can be formed. All the elements we see around us are formed in stars. After the formation of the first atoms of the Universe from the primordial plasma, the atoms were mainly composed of hydrogen and helium, and all other elements appeared after the birth of the first stars. Stars play an important role in the fusion and combination of atoms in their cores, resulting in the formation of heavier elements. On the outskirts of the Milky Way galaxy The formation of elements in a star depends on its mass. Stars are the size of our Sun and are smaller able to support reactions that create light elements such as lithium and beryllium when hydrogen and helium combine. More massive stars can produce heavier elements such as oxygen and nitrogen. However, phosphorus is not produced during such reactions inside the star. Supernova explosions, accompanied by the death of massive stars, are one of the known mechanisms for the origin of phosphorus. Flares eject elements into space, scattering astromaterials into the interstellar medium, where they can be absorbed by new generations of stars, as well as comets and planets. Massive stars can only form in regions where there is enough material to feed them. As you move away from the center of the galaxy, the density of matter decreases - the outskirts of galaxies are usually populated by massive stars. So the presence of phosphorus in a cloud called WB89-621, located about 74,000 light-years from the center of the Milky Way, poses a mystery to astrochemists. “The discovery of phosphorus at the edge of the galaxy raises questions and adds an additional piece to our puzzle. The presence of phosphorus in this area suggests that the process of its formation is more complex and is not limited only to supernova explosions,” explains chemist Liliya Koelemey, collaborating with Arizona State University. There are two main explanations for this phenomenon. One of them is associated with the “galactic fountain” model, which assumes the movement of elements from the inner regions of the galaxy to the outer through supernova explosions, ejecting matter from the galactic disk into the halo and its subsequent cooling and return. However, this explanation is questionable, since observational data on galactic fountains is not yet sufficient. Another explanation involves the possibility of phosphorus being formed in the region around the core of less massive stars by capturing neutrons. Here, silicon isotopes can capture additional neutrons to form phosphorus. The discovery of phosphorus on the outskirts of the Milky Way is an exciting and important study, valuable for understanding the formation of life in the Universe. This element is the last of the NCHOPS - nitrogen, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur - essential building blocks for the emergence of life and which define the habitable zones of a galaxy. Previously, astronomers had not paid much attention to the outskirts of galaxies in search of exoplanets with biomarkers, because they believed that regions far from the center of galaxies did not have enough phosphorus. However, this discovery allows us to expand the scope of searches.