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6mo ago

Astronomers Detect Oxygen in Most Distant Known Galaxy, Redefining Early Universe Evolution

The discovery of oxygen in JADES-GS-z14-0, observed 300 million years after the Big Bang, reveals galaxies formed and matured much faster than previously believed.

This is an artist’s impression of JADES-GS-z14-0, which as of today is the most distant confirmed galaxy. Galaxies in the early Universe tend to be clumpy and irregular. Supernova explosions in this galaxy would have spread heavy elements forged inside stars, like oxygen, which has been now detected with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA).
This image shows the precise location of the most distant known galaxy, called JADES-GS-z14-0, seen as an extremely tiny dot in the Fornax constellation.
An artist's concept illustrates how the universe might have looked when it was less than 1 billion years old. Star formation voraciously consumed primordial hydrogen, churning out a multitude of stars.

Overview

  • JADES-GS-z14-0, located 13.4 billion light-years away, is the most distant confirmed galaxy, observed as it existed during the Cosmic Dawn.
  • Astronomers using ALMA and JWST detected oxygen and heavy elements, suggesting rapid chemical enrichment in the galaxy's early stages.
  • The galaxy contains 10 times more heavy elements than expected for its age, challenging existing models of galaxy formation and evolution.
  • The detection allowed astronomers to refine the galaxy's redshift to 14.18 with unprecedented precision, improving distance measurements.
  • The findings raise questions about the processes driving early galaxy formation and suggest the need to revise cosmological models.