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A powerful radio telescope fixing a satellite galaxy in the Milky Way has detected thousands of previously unknown radio sources.
In the direction of the Large Magellanic Cloud, thousands of nearby stars, supernovae and distant galaxies were first detected in radio wavelengths, data that could provide new insight into the inner workings and the evolution of these fascinating objects.
This is all part of the Early Evolutionary Map of the Universe (EMU) science project conducted using the Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) facility in Australia, one of the most sensitive radio telescopes in operation. . He scans the Radio Universe for more details on how it has evolved over time.
“The new crisp and sensitive image reveals thousands of radio sources that we have never seen before,” said astronomer Clara Pennock of Keele University in the UK.
“Most of them are actually galaxies millions or even billions of light years beyond the Large Magellanic Cloud. We usually see them because of the supermassive black holes in their centers that can be detected at all wavelengths, especially radio, but now we are also starting to find many galaxies in which stars are forming at a tremendous rate.
“Combining this data with previous observations from X-ray, optical and infrared telescopes will allow us to explore these galaxies in extraordinary detail.”
The Large Magellanic Cloud is a dwarf spiral galaxy that orbits the Milky Way at a distance of approximately 160,000 light years. Eventually, in about 2.4 billion years, it will be absorbed by the Milky Way, but for now, its proximity makes it an excellent object to learn more about the structure of galaxies and the life cycle of stars. .
The research team turned ASKAP’s antennas towards this galaxy to obtain observations not only of the entire structure, but also of individual objects within: stars, supernovae and stellar nurseries, such as the lush Nebula of the Tarantula, the most active star region in the local group of galaxies. , forming stars at an unusually high rate.
Detections made by the team ranged from baby stars to dead stars – the remnants of expanding bubbles of matter after a star became a supernova.
“With so many stars and nebulae gathered together, the increased sharpness of the image was instrumental in the discovery of radio-emitting stars and compact nebulae in the Large Magellanic Cloud,” astrophysicist Jacco said. van Loon, also from Keele University.
“We see all kinds of radio sources, from individual nascent stars to planetary nebulae that result from the death of stars like the Sun.”
The observations made represent a significant improvement over previous radio readings from the Large Magellanic Cloud, the researchers said, allowing the detection of more than 50,000 radio sources. With the combined data, along with new ASKAP observations, astronomers will be able to take a closer look at these sources to learn more about them.
For example, planetary nebulae and supernova remnants will be the subject of future in-depth analyzes.
Radio data obtained from distant galaxies behind the Large Magellanic Cloud can be used to make large-scale measurements of their Faraday rotation – the way radio waves twist as they pass through the intergalactic medium – and of the neutral atomic hydrogen, which can be mapped to understand the structure of galaxies.
“It is gratifying to see these exciting results from early EMU observations,” said astronomer Andrew Hopkins of Macquarie University in Australia.
“The findings from this early work demonstrate the power of the ASKAP telescope to deliver sensitive images over large areas of the sky, offering a tantalizing glimpse of what the full EMU investigation can reveal. This investigation has been essential for us. help design the main survey, which we hope will start in early 2022. “
The research was published in the Monthly notices from the Royal Astronomical Society.
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