Old galaxies stick together in the young universe
Researchers of the British Midlands University of Nottingham recently led a study, producing convincing evidence that galaxies which look old early in the history of the Universe reside in enormous clouds of invisible dark matter and will eventually evolve into the most massive galaxies that exist in the present day.
UK astronomers have developed the most sensitive infrared map of the distant universe ever produced, revealing origins of the most massive galaxies in the cosmos. Using images obtained with the United Kingdom Infra-Red Telescope (UKIRT researchers from the university have combined data over a period of three years. This produced a map encompassing more than 100,000 galaxies over an area of sky four times the size of the full moon.
As the light from across the universe takes so long to reach observers on Earth, UKIRT allows astronomers to look back in time — more than ten billion years — producing images of the galaxies’ infancy. The image is so large and so deep that thousands of galaxies can be studied at these early epochs for the first time. By observing these galaxies at the infrared wavelength, astronomers can now peer even further back in time — as light is shifted towards the redder wavelength as it travels through the expanding universe.
The distant galaxies identified are considered elderly because they are rich in old, red stars. But because the light from these systems has taken up to 10 billion years to reach Earth, they are seen as they appeared in the very early Universe, just four billion years after the Big Bang. The presence of such fully-evolved galaxies so early in the life of the cosmos is hard to explain and has been a major puzzle to astronomers studying how galaxies form and evolve. The old galaxies were identified from images taken as part of the Ultra-Deep Survey (UDS), one element of a five-part project, the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey (UKIDSS), which commenced in 2005. UKIRT is the world's largest telescope dedicated solely to infrared astronomy, sited near the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii, at an altitude of 4194 metres (13760 feet) above sea level.
Speaking about this initiative undertaken by the British Midlands University, Mrs Chandrika Shah, Country Representative, British Midlands said,” There are so many benefits to be derived from space exploration and the British Midlands region is making tremendous progress through its space research which is vital to understand the history of the Universe and its consequences in the present and the future. The region has significant strengths and resources for space related technologies, held in both commercial and research organisations. With its world-class facilities and strong skills base, the British Midlands is already home to a significant number of businesses involved in space technology applications-related research and development.”
She further added, “The region is uniquely centered around the UK’s rail and motorway network enabling fast and easy access to the growing markets for space technology related products and services across the UK and mainland Europe. In addition, there is a strong network of universities, companies and support organisations which opens up a host of opportunities for research and development collaborations. Our regional development agencies are keen to provide support to companies who are looking to explore these opportunities.”
The British Midlands region in the UK has a tremendous industrial network and a long-standing association with various centres for space research. It boasts of a number of world–class resources with state-of-the-art facilities for developing space technology with an unrivalled expertise. The region is home to several universities having a long heritage of building space instruments. Apart from university research and development, the region is also home to a number of companies involved in manufacturing for the space industry.
The National Space Centre in Leicester is a leading force promoting the public awareness of space. As the only Challenger Learning Centre outside North America, it has recently won an exclusive contract to develop advanced graphics for a programme used for the 50-strong network of training centres. It is also home to the UK’s first Space Academy. Focusing on the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) curriculum, it will help to future-proof the region’s skills base through teaching for young people.
The Space Research Centre (SRC) houses the development of satellite borne instrumentation for earth observation, high energy astrophysics and planetary astronomy and is an international leader in technology origination, contract research sensor technologies, consultancy and the bespoke design and build of imaging devices. GRACE (GNSS Research and Applications Centre of Excellence) is a world-class centre of excellence in Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) focusing on developing commercial GNSS applications in industry by providing access to state-of-the-art research and testing facilities.
