Astronomers using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) in southwest China's Guizhou Province have discovered an abundance of gas-rich galaxies in the distant universe. Published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on Friday, the study reveals that these newly found galaxies emit radio waves that took nearly the age of the solar system to reach Earth.
Lead author Xi Hongwei from the National Astronomical Observatories under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC), along with colleagues from Australia, the United States, and Russia, detailed the properties of six new high-redshift galaxies. These galaxies contain as much or more atomic hydrogen gas than the tens of thousands previously surveyed with other radio telescopes.
This new sample provides a valuable opportunity to investigate the evolution of cool gas in galaxies. \"A larger sample size in the future will allow us to refine our knowledge of the formation and evolution of galaxies,\" the study states.
Hydrogen, the universe's most common element, is a primary component of the cool interstellar medium (ISM) and serves as the fuel for star formation. Despite its abundance in spiral galaxies like the Milky Way, previous radio telescopes' limited sensitivity has restricted our understanding of the ISM's evolution.
\"We have carried out a blind neutral hydrogen search, or the FAST Ultra-Deep Survey. These discoveries are part of the ongoing survey, showcasing the tremendous sensitivity of the world's largest radio telescope,\" said Peng Bo, a scientist at NAOC.
\"The new FAST survey has so far discovered over 100 new galaxies at distances of up to 5 billion light years, with the final number expected to reach over 1,000,\" Peng added.
Reference(s):
China's FAST telescope finds an abundance of distant gas-rich galaxies
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