Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery using the James Webb Space Telescope, finding a dozen dormant galaxies that challenge our understanding of galaxy evolution in the first billion years following the Big Bang. These “sleeping beauty” galaxies are thought to have formed stars in the distant past but mysteriously stopped doing so.
Contrary to previous assumptions, these galaxies were not actively forming stars during the universe’s infancy. Instead, they appeared to be sleeping, with some team members likened this phenomenon to finding teenagers asleep at a rave – it doesn’t fit the expected picture of an energetic star-forming era.
Researchers used JWST’s infrared capabilities to analyze light from these distant systems and discovered that they had old, red stars but no new blue stars being born. This state of quiescence was previously only predicted in more massive galaxies.
The discovery upends a key tenet of galaxy evolution theory, suggesting that galaxies can enter periods of star formation and then stop, rather than following a single predictable path. The “sleeping beauty” concept proposes that these galaxies may have entered quiescence due to the presence of powerful supermassive black holes or interactions with neighboring galaxies.
However, team lead Alba Covelo Paz notes that some galaxies could remain dormant forever, and it is unclear whether they will stay dormant for millions of years. Further research is needed to determine the cause of their quenching and unlock the secrets of these ancient galaxies.
Source: https://hothardware.com/news/astronomers-stunned-as-webb-spots-sleeping-beauty-galaxies-where-they-shouldnt-exist