JWST Finds Something Unusual Inside GN-z11, a Galaxy at the Edge of the Universe
TLDRThe video discusses the Galaxy GN z11, the farthest galaxy known to humanity as of 2015, which contains a supermassive black hole and is a prime subject for cosmological studies. Recent observations from the James Webb Space Telescope have revealed a high concentration of ionized helium gas, suggesting the possible existence of primordial population three stars. The black hole, with a mass of 2 million solar masses, is a significant discovery, shedding light on the early universe's mysteries.
Takeaways
- ๐ The Galaxy GN z11, discovered in 2015, was the farthest galaxy known at the time, existing approximately 13.4 billion years ago, or 400 million years after the Big Bang.
- ๐ GN z11 is relatively small, about 4% the size of the Milky Way and contains 1% of its mass, yet it's extremely bright and forms stars at least 20 times faster than the Milky Way.
- ๐ The redshift of GN z11 is almost 11, indicating it is currently 32 billion light years away from us, after accounting for the expansion of the universe.
- ๐ญ Recent studies using the James Webb Space Telescope have focused on spectroscopy to analyze the light passing through gases within GN z11, revealing the elements present and the structure of the gas in the galaxy.
- ๐ซ Observations showed a high concentration of super dense gas in the galaxy's center, which is likely created by a supermassive black hole.
- ๐ค The black hole in GN z11 is approximately 2 million solar masses, making it the farthest supermassive black hole ever observed, despite the galaxy's relatively small size.
- ๐ The ionized elements observed were moving fast, suggesting they were being expelled from the galaxy by powerful galactic winds, further indicating the presence of a massive black hole.
- ๐ The James Webb Space Telescope also detected a large concentration of helium gas around GN z11, which could be evidence for the existence of primordial population three stars.
- โจ These population three stars are thought to be the first stars in the universe, made entirely of hydrogen and helium, and are extremely massive and hot, with short lifetimes.
- ๐ While the evidence for the existence of population three stars is strong, their detection remains challenging due to their expected short lifespans and the difficulty in capturing them in the brief period of their existence.
- ๐ฎ The discovery of the helium clouds and the confirmed presence of a supermassive black hole in GN z11 make it one of the most exciting astronomical objects discovered in the past decade.
Q & A
What is the significance of Galaxy GN z11?
-Galaxy GN z11 is significant because it was the farthest galaxy known to us, existing approximately 13.4 billion years ago, or about 400 million years after the Big Bang. It is one of the most studied distant galaxies, providing insights into cosmological mysteries.
What does the 'z11' in GN z11 represent?
-The 'z11' in GN z11 represents the redshift of the galaxy, which is a measure of how much the light from the galaxy has been stretched towards the red end of the spectrum due to the expansion of the universe.
How does the size and mass of GN z11 compare to the Milky Way?
-GN z11 is relatively small, being about 4% the size of the Milky Way and contains approximately 1% of the mass of the Milky Way. Despite its small size, it is extremely bright and forms stars at a rate at least 20 times faster than the Milky Way.
What recent discoveries have been made about GN z11 using the James Webb Space Telescope?
-Recent studies using the James Webb Space Telescope have discovered a high concentration of super dense gas in the center of GN z11, which likely contains a supermassive black hole with a mass of about 2 million solar masses. Additionally, a large clump of helium gas was found, which could be evidence of primordial population three stars.
What is the significance of the supermassive black hole found in GN z11?
-The supermassive black hole in GN z11 is significant because it is the farthest such black hole ever seen. Its discovery helps us understand the formation and evolution of black holes in the early universe, especially considering its massive size relative to the overall mass of the galaxy.
What is the Addington limit and how does the black hole in GN z11 relate to it?
-The Addington limit is a theoretical limit on the luminosity of a black hole, beyond which the radiation pressure from the black hole would be strong enough to push matter away, preventing further accretion. The black hole in GN z11 is creating material at five times the normal limit, indicating it is extremely bright and actively accreting matter.
What are population three stars and why are they significant?
-Population three stars are the hypothetical first generation of stars in the universe, composed entirely of hydrogen and helium with no heavier elements. They are significant because they are thought to have played a crucial role in the early universe's chemical enrichment and are associated with the reionization of the universe.
How does the helium clump found in GN z11 relate to the theory of population three stars?
-The helium clump found in GN z11 supports the theory of population three stars because the concentrated helium gas could be the result of these primordial stars illuminating their surroundings. The ionized helium is particularly suggestive of the presence of such powerful, early stars.
What challenges do astronomers face in observing and confirming the existence of population three stars?
-Astronomers face the challenge of these stars having extremely short lifetimes, possibly just a few thousand years, making it difficult to capture them in their active state. Additionally, the need to observe very specific regions of space with high-resolution telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope is required to detect the faint signals from these distant, early stars.
What other evidence of population three stars was found in a different location?
-Another potential evidence of population three stars was found in a stellar complex known as LAP One, which contains extremely ionized basic elements, suggesting the presence of very powerful, massive stars emitting a lot of ultraviolet light.
Why is the discovery of helium clouds ionized by population three stars important?
-The discovery of ionized helium clouds is important because it supports the theory of population three stars and provides insights into the early stages of star formation in the universe. These stars are expected to be extremely bright and massive, with luminosities millions of times greater than our Sun, contributing significantly to the early universe's evolution.
Outlines
๐ Discovery of the Distant Galaxy GN z11
The video begins by discussing the discovery of the distant galaxy GN z11, which was initially the farthest known galaxy to humanity. Identified by its redshift, GN z11 existed approximately 13.4 billion years ago, around 400 million years after the Big Bang. Despite being surpassed by another galaxy discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope, GN z11 remains a significant and well-studied galaxy. Recent studies have revealed exciting discoveries about this galaxy, contributing to our understanding of cosmological mysteries. The video introduces the topic and sets the stage for a deeper exploration of GN z11's characteristics and recent findings.
๐ Unraveling the Secrets of GN z11
This paragraph delves into the specifics of GN z11, revealing it to be a relatively small dwarf galaxy, yet extremely bright due to its rapid star formation rate. The James Webb Space Telescope's powerful capabilities have allowed scientists to study the galaxy's spectroscopy, which in turn has led to the discovery of a supermassive black hole at its center. The black hole, with a mass of approximately 2 million solar masses, is producing material at a rate exceeding the Eddington limit, making it incredibly luminous. The researchers have also identified high-velocity ionized elements, suggesting the presence of galactic winds powered by the active galactic nucleus. This section highlights the recent findings that have positioned GN z11 as a key player in understanding the early universe and the formation of supermassive black holes.
๐ซ Potential Evidence of Population III Stars
The final paragraph shifts focus to another discovery within GN z11โ a significant concentration of helium gas. This helium clump surrounding the galaxy supports the theory that these dense helium clumps could lead to the formation of Population III stars, the first generation of stars composed solely of hydrogen and helium. The James Webb Space Telescope's data has provided the strongest evidence yet for these primordial stars, with the helium clouds potentially being illuminated by these extremely bright and massive stars. The video discusses the implications of this discovery, suggesting that if these helium clouds are indeed lit up by Population III stars, then these stars must be incredibly luminous, with a single star being around 20 billion times more luminous than the Sun. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the significance of these findings and the ongoing search for direct evidence of Population III stars.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กGalaxy GN z11
๐กRedshift
๐กDwarf Galaxy
๐กSpectroscopic Observations
๐กSupermassive Black Hole
๐กEddington Limit
๐กGalactic Winds
๐กHelium Clumps
๐กPopulation III Stars
๐กDirect Collapse
๐กJames Webb Space Telescope
Highlights
The Galaxy GN z11, originally discovered in 2015, was the farthest galaxy known at the time, with a redshift of z11.
GN z11 existed approximately 13.4 billion years ago, or about 400 million years after the Big Bang.
Despite being smaller than the Milky Way, GN z11 is extremely bright and forms stars at least 20 times faster.
The galaxy is visible from Earth due to its high luminosity, despite being 32 billion light years away.
Recent studies using the James Webb Space Telescope have provided new insights into GN z11's composition and structure.
Spectroscopic observations reveal the presence of various gases within the galaxy, including a high concentration of super dense gas in the center.
The center of GN z11 contains a supermassive black hole with a mass of approximately 2 million solar masses.
The black hole in GN z11 is pushing out material at an impressive rate, creating powerful galactic winds.
The discovery of the supermassive black hole in GN z11 confirms it as the farthest such object ever seen.
GN z11's black hole is surprisingly massive given the galaxy's relatively small size and mass.
The stars in GN z11 are estimated to be only about 40 million years old, suggesting a rapid formation of the galaxy and its black hole.
James Webb data has also identified a large concentration of helium gas surrounding GN z11, which could be evidence of primordial population three stars.
Population three stars are hypothesized to be the first stars in the universe, composed solely of hydrogen and helium.
The helium clumps near GN z11 could indicate the presence of these extremely massive and luminous primordial stars.
These primordial stars are expected to have short lifetimes, potentially only a few thousand years, and end their lives in massive explosions.
The detection of ionized helium clouds around GN z11 supports the theory of population three stars illuminating their surroundings.
The luminosity of these primordial stars is estimated to be around 20 billion times that of our Sun.
While the evidence for population three stars is strong, future studies and observations are needed for confirmation.
GN z11 remains one of the most exciting and studied distant galaxies due to its unique characteristics and the insights it provides into early cosmic history.
Transcripts
So today we're going to go back and talk
about a very exciting Galaxy that was
originally discovered back in 2015 back
then this was the farthest galaxy known
to us the Galaxy GN z11 and the z11 here
stands for the red shift the red shift
of this galaxy back then made it the
farthest object we've ever seen existing
approximately 13.4 billion years ago or
approximately 400 million years after
the big bang and although since then
James web Space Telescope discovered
something that's even a little bit
farther even today gnz11 is still one of
the most exciting and most studied
distant galaxies ever and as you're
going to learn in this video there have
been a few really exciting discoveries
coming out of this galaxy taking us a
little bit closer to solving a few
cosmological Mysteries and so hello
wonderful person this is Anton let's
discuss this galaxy once again talk
about some of the more recent
discoveries that came out out of two
separate studies and of course talk
about why some of these discoveries are
kind of important but first so exactly
what is this well based on some of the
preliminary discoveries we know that
this galaxy is about 4% the size of the
Milky Way and contains about 1% of the
mass so it's actually relatively small
technically a dwarf Galaxy but it's also
ridiculously bright it's forming stars
at least 20 times as fast and is
producing an enormous amount of light
making this an extreme ex luminous
object visible from very far away how
far away well if you consider the
expansion of the universe 32 billion
light years away from us once again red
shift of almost 11 in comparison here's
what the record holder looks like the
one discovered by the James web this is
at a red shift of 13.2 and just a little
bit farther away 33.6 billion light
years and definitely does not look as
impressive or as bright actually at
least one study we' discussed previously
even suggested that maybe just maybe
this is not a Galaxy but instead some
kind of a dark star made out of
primordial dark matter you can learn
more about this in one of the videos in
the description but a lot of recent
studies actually focused on something a
little bit more detailed they used
observations from the James web to study
spectroscopy or in essence how the light
changes by passing through various gases
inside the Galaxy in order to reveal
what s of elements are inside but also
reconstruct the overall structure of gas
in the Galaxy potentially covering
certain Mysteries now because James web
is so powerful it's physically able to
see a lot of chunks of gas at really far
away distances and it can even tell us
what sort of gas this is and one of the
recent studies discovered that there's a
really high concentration of super dense
gas somewhere in the center and
specifically a very thick very dense gas
that seems to contain a lot of ionized
elements that are very likely created by
something extremely powerful with the
first Assumption of of course being a
super massive black hole but just seeing
gas was not enough so the researchers
behind the recent study decided to find
a few more clues so first of all in
order to ionize elements something
really powerful has to happen in the
vicinity but turns out that these
ionized elements were also moving really
fast approximately 800 to 1,000 km/s
compared to the rest of the Galaxy
suggesting that something was spewing
them out the only way to explain this
outf velocity is once again with the
massive black hole although here what
we're observing are the galactic winds
basically all of this gas being thrown
out of the Galaxy by a very powerful
active Galactic nucleus or active black
hole in the center that's transforming
everything inside the Galaxy through a
lot of vigorous activity right in the
middle and so here by analyzing the
speed of gas the total mass of gas and
by looking at the density in the center
the researchers discovered a few more
details about what it is a black hole
approximately 2 million solar masses in
mass that seems to be a creating
material five times the normal limit
what we refer to as the Addington limit
which basically means that it's so
ridiculously bright that the light
produced by the black hole sort of
pushes everything out of the system even
counteracting gravity and because in
this case all of the spectroscopy or all
of the colors seem to indicate that this
is a black hole and nothing else it
actually means that we've now officially
have the farthest super massive black
hole ever seen But since it's about 2
million sore masses or approximately
half the mass of the one in the Milky
Way galaxy it is a little bit surprising
I mean since this galaxy is only 1% the
mass of the Milky Way but contains such
a huge black hole it's not entirely
clear how all this could have formed so
quick here it's believed that the stars
are only about 40 million years old and
so that means that all of this possibly
formed really quickly but James web
might have actually solved one of these
mysteries of ancient black holes in one
of the recent studies that you can learn
more about in one of the videos in you
description and so anyway looks like we
have the most distant active black hole
ever seen but this wasn't the only
Discovery coming from the Galaxy and
coming from that James web data here he
was also able to analyze other gas
clouds specifically various colums
surround in the Galaxy not really in the
center and intriguingly what they found
was a huge concentration of helium gas
actually a huge clump of helium that
seems to surround gnz11 and since
there's only hel I and hydrogen forming
extremely dense clumps this kind of
corresponds to a really intriguing
proposition from a few years ago an idea
that a lot of these helium clums very
likely eventually result in population
three stars the mysterious primordial
first stars in the universe made
entirely out of hydrogen and helium and
nothing else and one of the primary
missions for the James web is to try to
find evidence for these stars or even
better actually see them somewhere but
so far evidence has been kind of sparse
this though is the best evidence we have
these tiny concentrated pockets of
helium extremely close to a massive
galaxy in the first billion years is
actually how the scientists expect
population three stars formed through
the process of direct collapse of all of
these clouds into these really massive
super hot objects objects that would be
at least 500 s masses in mass and
possibly up to several thousand masses
with all of them burn with extreme heat
and very likely just exploding
completely once they become unstable and
so these are definitely not like any
stars around us and will be something
very extreme extremely huge in size and
producing massive explosions but because
their lifetime is expected to be really
really short possibly just a few
thousand years or maybe even shorter
trying to capture that one frame where
many of them existed has been so far
really difficult and so basically here
we either find gas before this start has
formed or in some cases fine gas that
seems to indicate Supernova from these
Stars something we actually discussed in
one of the recent videos about a
potential Discovery right here in the
Milky Way so yeah there was a star found
here that must have been created from a
supernova from one of these stars but
trying to find evidence of the actual
Stars still existing so far has been
very difficult but since a lot of these
very thick clouds of helium potentially
existed for millions of years after the
big bang chances are there were several
periods during which these unusual Stars
could have formed and so one day we
might actually find one of them as long
as we keep looking but what's actually
exciting about this discovery of these
helium clouds is that some of them are
once again ionized and ionized helium
specifically the one that's seen in this
case has always been believed to be a
sign of population three stars
Illuminating the clouds around them and
intriguingly if this is correct and if
these are indeed clouds illuminated by
these super powerful stars then these
stars must be super bright the
Luminosity for a single star here is
approximately 20 billion times higher
than the Sun so yeah let me repeat that
again 20 billion times more luminous
than our sun and that makes it a
ridiculously bright object and so unless
there's another explanation for why
these helium clouds are the way they are
right now this seems to be the best
evidence we have for the existence of
primordial population three stars
although technically there was another
study from a few months ago the
potential found signs of these
population three stars in a different
location this was from a stellar complex
known as lap one which is an acronym for
L and pristine pristine because it
doesn't seem to contain anything except
for very basic elements but
interestingly a lot of these elements
are extremely ionized once again
suggesting something super super
powerful very likely with a lot of UV
light hiding somewh in the middle and so
back then in 2023 the researchers
believed that this is also the side of
population three stars that seem to be
present in some kind of a growing Galaxy
but the evidence was not as strong as
the evidence from gnz11 right now what
we're seeing from this distant Galaxy is
extremely difficult to argue with
there's basically no other explanation
for this in helium except for very very
powerful extremely massive stars
somewhere in the center and stars way
way too bright to be anything but huge
chunks of hydrogen and helium hundreds
of solar masses and mass but we're
probably not going to know more until
future studies and until future
observations for now this is going to
remain just a hypothesis but at least
the black hole in this galaxy has now
been officially confirmed basically
making this unusual Galaxy one of the
most exciting objects discovered in the
last 10 years but I'm sure we'll be
discussing this galaxy again because
even though it's no longer a record
holder due to its sheer size and its
Luminosity it's one of the easiest
objects to observe from these extreme
distances and so once the scientists
learn something else we'll come back and
talk more about this in some of the
future videos on that note thank you for
watching subscribe share this with
someone who L about space and Sciences
come back tomorrow to learn something
else support this channel on patreon by
doing Channel membership or by buying
the wonderful person t-shirt you can
find in the description stay wonderful
I'll see you tomorrow and as always
[Music]
bye-bye
[Music]
n
Browse More Related Video
Black Hole Bonanza: StarTalk Live! With Neil deGrasse Tyson, Janna Levin, & Jenny Greene
Peering Into The Abyss: The Truth About Black Holes | The New Frontier | Spark
How did they actually take this picture? (Very Long Baseline Interferometry)
NASA Discovered Thousands of Galaxies That Scientists Canโt Explain!
The Biggest James Webbโs Discoveries So Far
2023's Biggest Breakthroughs in Physics
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)
Thanks for rating: