Virtual Content Has No Border

Tag: quasars

  • Secrets of the Early Universe: Merging Quasars Reveal Cosmic Dawn

    Secrets of the Early Universe: Merging Quasars Reveal Cosmic Dawn

    In the vast expanse of the cosmos, a remarkable discovery has shed light on the formative years of our universe. Astronomers have observed a pair of merging quasars, each powered by a supermassive black hole, locked in a gravitational dance of immense scale and energy. This observation offers a rare glimpse into the dynamic processes that shaped the early universe and its structures during the period known as the “Cosmic Dawn.”

    Cosmic Dawn

    Quasars: Cosmic Powerhouses

    Quasars are exceedingly luminous astronomical objects that often outshine entire galaxies. This immense energy output is generated by a supermassive black hole residing at the core of the quasar. These black holes, millions or even billions of times more massive than our Sun, exert a gravitational pull so powerful that it draws in surrounding matter. As this matter spirals towards the black hole, it forms an accretion disk, a swirling vortex of gas and dust. Within this disk, intense frictional and gravitational forces generate extreme temperatures, causing the matter to emit vast amounts of radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum.

    Cosmic Dawn and the Epoch of Reionization

    The early universe, a period known as the Cosmic Dawn, was a time of immense change. Roughly 50 million years after the Big Bang, the first stars and galaxies began to form, marking a pivotal shift from darkness to light. This emergence of luminous objects initiated the Epoch of Reionization, a transformative phase in cosmic history. During this period, the universe’s abundant neutral hydrogen gas was bombarded with intense ultraviolet radiation emitted by these nascent stars and galaxies, stripping electrons from the hydrogen atoms and fundamentally altering the properties of the universe.

    Secrets of Merging Quasars

    The Gemini Near-Infrared Spectrograph (GNIRS) on Gemini North played a crucial role in confirming the identity of these merging quasars and uncovering the secrets of their host galaxies. The observations revealed that the quasars were too faint to detect in near-infrared, indicating that a portion of the observed light originated from the intense star formation occurring within their merging galaxies. Furthermore, the GNIRS observations detected a bridge of gas connecting the two quasars, providing compelling evidence of their impending merger.

    Mysteries of the Early Universe

    This monumental discovery offers a rare glimpse into a period of the universe that has long remained elusive. By studying these distant objects, astronomers can unlock valuable insights into the processes that shaped the early universe and laid the foundation for the magnificent cosmic structures we marvel at today. As astronomers venture deeper into the universe’s mysteries, they anticipate uncovering more of these enigmatic objects, gradually piecing together the intricate puzzle of the early universe’s evolution.

    Future of Quasar Research

    The highly anticipated Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) is poised to revolutionize quasar research. With its unparalleled ability to peer into the depths of space, the LSST is expected to detect millions of quasars, ushering in a new era of discovery and unveiling the secrets of these cosmic powerhouses.

  • Scientists Observe Early Universe in ‘Extreme Slow-Motion’ Using Quasars

    Scientists Observe Early Universe in ‘Extreme Slow-Motion’ Using Quasars

    Scientists have achieved a groundbreaking feat by observing the early state of the universe in extreme slow-motion, thanks to data obtained from quasars, which are massive and brilliantly bright objects located far from Earth. These quasars act as “lighthouses” that carry the history of celestial objects within the light they emit, such as stars and galaxies.

    universe

    Over a span of nearly two decades, researchers in Australia and New Zealand meticulously observed 190 quasars, harnessing the data to create a virtual “universal clock.” By comparing different wavelengths to the ticking of a clock, they could decipher the progression of time in the early universe.

    The light from these quasars traversed the cosmos for billions of years before reaching telescopes, providing valuable insights into the distant past. This remarkable achievement is grounded in Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity, which reveals how time varies across different spatial and temporal contexts.

    The University of Sydney Professor Gerent Lewis elucidated, “Thanks to Einstein, we comprehend the interconnected nature of time and space. The universe, stemming from a single point in the Big Bang, is expanding. An expanding universe entails that time in the early stages flows significantly slower than it does presently.

    This research delved into events occurring approximately one billion years after the Big Bang.” Professor Lewis further explained that immediately following the Big Bang, roughly 13.8 billion years ago, time in the universe flowed at a fifth of its present rate.

    While a second would have appeared as a standard unit of time in the early universe, from our current standpoint, approximately 12 billion years later, that exact second would seem to drag on. The discrepancy arises due to the relativity of time, which becomes apparent when comparing different temporal epochs. These groundbreaking findings were published in the esteemed journal Nature Astronomy by Professor Lewis and his colleague, Dr. Brendan Brewer, a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland.

    By unraveling the early state of the universe and comprehending how time evolved during its formative stages, scientists have taken a monumental step toward understanding the fundamental nature of our cosmos. This achievement sheds light on the intricate interplay between space, time, and the universe’s expansion, deepening our knowledge of the origin and evolution of the cosmos.