Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have confirmed that a supermassive black hole can starve its host galaxy of gas needed for star formation, a discovery made while observing a galaxy from the early universe, around two billion years after the Big Bang.
The galaxy observed, nicknamed "Pablo's Galaxy," is about the size of the Milky Way but has largely stopped forming new stars, a condition known as "quenched." The galaxy exists in a dormant state with significantly reduced star formation activity.
Using the Webb telescope’s high sensitivity, scientists observed large amounts of gas being expelled from the galaxy at speeds of around 1,000 kilometers per second. This expulsion is powerful enough for the gas to escape the galaxy's gravitational pull, removing the fuel needed for new stars.
The study revealed a new component of gas that had not been visible in previous observations. These colder, denser gas clouds do not emit light but block light from background galaxies, adding another layer of complexity to understanding how galaxies are starved of star-forming material.
Researchers found that the galaxy’s supermassive black hole is responsible for ejecting gas and preventing star formation. According to Dr. Francesco D’Eugenio from the University of Cambridge, the black hole effectively "kills" the galaxy by cutting off its supply of star-forming gas.
These observations align with previous theoretical models, which predicted that black holes could stop star formation in galaxies. The findings confirm that supermassive black holes can have a massive impact on their host galaxies, shaping their evolution over time.
Credit: NASA
Despite the black hole’s influence, the stars in this galaxy still move in an orderly way, contrary to the turbulent effects that scientists had expected to observe. The discovery opens up new questions about the precise mechanisms driving galaxy quenching.
Further observations are planned using the Atacama Large Millimeter-Submillimeter Array (ALMA) to explore the black hole’s continued effects on the galaxy and to check if there’s any remaining fuel for star formation. These studies will provide deeper insights into the evolution of galaxies and the role of black holes.