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Cosmic blowtorches: How quasars shut down star formation in the early universe

A team at the University of Arizona discovered exceptionally fast and powerful galactic winds from quasars a billion years after the Big Bang. These winds could have caused galaxies to lose gas supplies, effectively shutting down star formation. The study suggests that quasars with extreme outflows were more common in the early univers...

SourceUniversity of Arizona·JournalNature·TypeObservational study·DateMay 7, 2026

Supermassive black holes halt rapid construction in an ancient celestial city

A team of researchers used James Webb Space Telescope data to find massive galaxies with supermassive black holes showing no sign of star formation, supporting the theory that SMBHs can suppress gas supply and halt galaxy growth. The study provides new insights into the co-evolution of SMBHs and galaxies.

SourceWaseda University·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Letters·TypeObservational study·DateDec 18, 2024

Galaxies in dense environments tend to be larger, settling one cosmic question and raising others

A new study published in the Astrophysical Journal has found that galaxies in denser environments are up to 25% larger than isolated galaxies. Researchers used a machine learning tool to analyze millions of galaxies and found a clear trend: galaxies with more neighbors are also on average larger.

SourceUniversity of Washington·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeObservational study·DateAug 14, 2024

New dark matter theory explains two puzzles in astrophysics

A new theory, self-interacting dark matter (SIDM), proposes that dark matter particles interact through a dark force, explaining high-density halos and low-density halos of ultra-diffuse galaxies. SIDM simulates cosmic structure formation with strong dark matter self-interactions, diversifying halo density in central regions.

SourceUniversity of California - Riverside·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateDec 6, 2023

Finding explanation for Milky Way’s warp

Astronomers at Harvard University have discovered a tilted dark matter halo, explaining the Milky Way's warp and flare. The team used models to calculate star orbits within a warped, oblong dark matter halo, matching existing observations of a distorted galaxy.

SourceHarvard University·JournalNature Astronomy·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateOct 10, 2023

M87 in 3D: New view of galaxy helps pin down mass of the black hole at its core

Astronomers have mapped the M87 galaxy's 3D structure and determined its supermassive black hole has a mass of 5.37 billion times that of the sun. The galaxy's asymmetrical shape allows for more precise measurements, including the rotation rate of 25 kilometers per second around an axis 40 degrees from the long axis.

SourceUniversity of California - Berkeley·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateApr 13, 2023

1st observational evidence linking black holes to dark energy

A team of researchers has discovered evidence of 'cosmological coupling' between black holes and the universe's expanding energy. By studying supermassive black holes in ancient galaxies, they found that these black holes gain mass over billions of years, matching predictions for black holes that cosmologically couple with vacuum energy.

SourceUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·TypeObservational study·DateFeb 15, 2023

Black hole discovered firing jets at neighboring galaxy

Astronomers have discovered a rare system featuring a black hole spewing a jet at a neighboring galaxy, providing insights into radio jet feedback and its impact on star formation. The unique nature of RAD12 has allowed researchers to study the interaction between the black hole's jet and the companion galaxy.

SourceRoyal Astronomical Society·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateOct 12, 2022

ALMA sees most distant Milky Way look-alike

Astronomers using ALMA have discovered the most distant Milky Way look-alike galaxy, SPT0418-47, which is surprisingly unchaotic and appears as a ring of light in the sky. The discovery challenges our understanding of how galaxies form and gives new insights into the past of the Universe.

SourceESO·JournalNature·DateAug 12, 2020

Heron survey fishes out detail in ghostly galaxy outskirts

The HERON collaboration completes the largest survey of nearby galaxy haloes, finding that diameter correlates with galaxy brightness; vast haloes found in bright galaxies, also seen in smaller discs. The team's low-cost system reveals faint stars tracing dark matter structures, offering new insights into galaxy evolution.

SourceRoyal Astronomical Society·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateOct 15, 2019

Black holes from small galaxies might emit gamma rays

Research suggests that small galaxies with smaller black holes can also produce powerful gamma-ray jets, a phenomenon previously thought to be exclusive to massive galaxies. This discovery has the potential to shift our understanding of astrophysics and blur the lines between different types of active galaxies.

SourceClemson University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal Letters·DateFeb 28, 2018

Revealing the origin and nature of the outskirts of stellar megalopolises

A team of astronomers has discovered extended stellar envelopes in individual massive elliptical galaxies at half the age of the Universe. The study, published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, used the Hubble Ultra Deep Field to characterize galactic haloes and reveal the process behind dramatic galaxy growth.

SourceInstituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC)·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateMar 6, 2017

Solved! First distance to a 'fast radio burst'

A team of scientists has confirmed that a 'fast radio burst' originates in the distant universe, using CSIRO radio telescopes and the National Astronomical Observatory's Subaru telescope. The breakthrough allows researchers to weigh the normal matter in the universe, confirming the presence of missing ordinary matter.

SourceCSIRO Australia·JournalNature·DateFeb 24, 2016