麻豆淫院

Images taken with the MIRI infrared camera on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have made it possible to observe the first galaxies in long-wavelength infrared light for the first time. Alongside a recent study in Astronomy and Astrophysics, these images provide new insights into how the first galaxies formed over 13 billion years ago.

"In the images, we can see the most distant galaxies known to us," says G枚ran 脰stlin, Professor of Astronomy at Stockholm University's Department of Astronomy.

In the study, the research team present their observations of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field (HUDF), the area of the sky that has been observed most frequently by various telescopes, including Hubble and James Webb in space and ground-based telescopes such as VLT and ALMA.

"What is unique about our observations is that they are made in mid-wavelength infrared light and with an extremely long exposure time, close to 100 hours. This allows us to study extremely distant galaxies. They emitted their light more than 13 billion years ago, near the beginning of the universe," says G枚ran 脰stlin.

Closer to the Big Bang

MIRI observations of the first galaxies make it possible to understand how and when their stars formed. Previous observations have only measured the light of newborn stars in these galaxies.

"With MIRI, we can estimate the number of stars that formed even earlier, near the Big Bang. This gives us the opportunity to study how the first galaxies evolved in the early days of the universe," says Jens Melinder, a researcher in the Department of Astronomy at Stockholm University.

Elements and black holes

Using mid-infrared light, the research team can also study dusty galaxies, some of which contain black holes. These dust-rich galaxies contain large amounts of interstellar dust that absorb blue light from the stars. The light that escapes from these galaxies and reaches us is infrared light.

"MIRI allows us to see through the veil of dust and observe what lies behind. By observing this type of galaxy, we can understand how quickly the heavier elements that the dust is made from formed in the early universe, and how supermassive black holes, surrounded by a ring of hot dust, evolved," says Melinder.

New images and data available

The publication makes all images and measurements available for researchers worldwide to download and use.

"We have contributed brand new data that will be used in future by researchers studying galaxy evolution and the formation of the first galaxies. The HUDF is such an incredibly well-observed part of the night sky that there is great value in making our images available. We expect them to be used by many," says Melinder.