Surprisingly mature galaxies in the early Universe

Mosaic showing some of the galaxies observed by ALMA. The bright yellow regions
Mosaic showing some of the galaxies observed by ALMA. The bright yellow regions are those where the most stars are forming (the ionised carbon (C+) line makes it possible to see the formation of stars obscured by dust). The second image from the left in the top row shows a triple merger.  © Michele Ginolfi / collaboration Alpine
Mosaic showing some of the galaxies observed by ALMA. The bright yellow regions are those where the most stars are forming (the ionised carbon (C+) line makes it possible to see the formation of stars obscured by dust). The second image from the left in the top row shows a triple merger. Michele Ginolfi / collaboration Alpine - When the Universe was only a tenth of its current age its galaxies experienced a growth spurt.  It was this period that the scientists in the ALPINE project 1 focused on when they used ESO's ALMA 2 telescope to carry out the first ever large survey of distant galaxies. To their surprise, these galaxies observed in the early stages of their life were far more mature than expected.  Their work is the subject of a series of articles published on 27 October 2020 in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics , signed among others by members of the CNRS and Aix-Marseille Université 3 .
account creation

TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT

And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.



Your Benefits

  • Access to all content
  • Receive newsmails for news and jobs
  • Post ads

myScience