Scientists at the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) facility in Northern Chile have produced what is considered to be the most detailed view of a formation of stars in a faraway universe.
The researchers were able to capture the high quality image through the help of a natural telescope known as a gravitational lens. They used the ALMA observatory as a lens to warp the light coming from the distant SDP.81 galaxy and produce a near-perfect example of the Einstein Ring phenomenon.
The potential of gravitational lens were first discussed through Albert Einstein's theory of relativity. In this concept, the famed theoretical physicist believed that any light that approaches a curved in the space-time will ultimately follow the curvatures produced by the object.
This allows particularly massive objects in space, such as galaxies and galaxy clusters, to serve as cosmic magnifying glasses for scientists.
The advanced models the ALMA researchers used depict clouds of dust that were thought to contain cold molecular gas. These colossal repositories are known as the birthplaces of planets and stars in the universe.
An international team of scientists have been gathered, including space experts from the universities of Nottingham, Durham and Cardiff, to study the images taken by ALMA.
"The reconstructed Alma image of the galaxy is spectacular," Rob Ivison, director for science at the European Southern Observatory and co-author of the research, said.
"Alma's huge collecting area, the large separation of its antennas and the stable atmosphere above the Atacama Desert all lead to exquisite detail in both images and spectra."
Ivison added that the ALMA observatory provides researchers with highly sensitive observations and detailed information on how the various parts of the galaxy move.
He said that the facility also allows them to study galaxies located on the opposite end of the universe as they merge and produce large numbers of stars.
Through the use of spectral information collected by ALMA, the researchers measured the rotation of the SDP.81 galaxy and its estimated mass. The data gathered showed the instability of the gas in the distant galaxy.
The team believes that the SDP.81 galaxy is about to transform into a new star-forming region as clumps of gas in the area are starting to collapse inward.
The ALMA image also showed the existence of a supermassive black hole in the middle of the foreground of the galaxy lens. The faint quality of SDP.81's central part suggests that a monstrous black hole is present in the area, the size of which is estimated at more than 200-300 million times the mass of the Sun.
Photo: Hubble Heritage | Flickr
