Unveiling The Formation Of The First Galaxies
Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:
Utilizing high-resolution three-dimensional radiation hydrodynamics simulations and a detailed supernova physics model run on supercomputers, a research team led by Dr. Ke-Jung Chen from the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica (ASIAA) has revealed that the physical properties of the first galaxies are critically determined by the masses of the first stars. Their study is published in The Astrophysical Journal.
The cosmic dawn is envisioned to have commenced approximately 200-400 million years after the Big Bang, marking the end of the cosmic dark ages with the illumination from the first stars (Pop III stars) and galaxies. Based on modern cosmology, the hierarchical assembly of dark matter (DM) halos provides gravitational wells that facilitate the formation of primordial gases, giving rise to the birth of the first stars within mini DM halos with masses of about 1 million solar masses.
Following the emergence of the first stars, the injection of radiation, metals, and mass from these stars and their supernovae triggers a transformative process, evolving the simple early universe into a state of increasing complexity. The cosmic dawn symbolizes the second phase transition after the Big Bang. Yet, the crucial transition from individual first stars to the formation of the first galaxies remains a central puzzle in modern astrophysics.
[...] Addressing this significant problem, Dr. Ke-Jung Chen led the explosion group in utilizing powerful supercomputers to conduct high-resolution 3D radiation-hydrodynamics simulations, incorporating detailed supernova physics to model the formation of the first galaxies.
Their results reveal that the physical properties of the first galaxies are determined by the masses of the first stars. Supernovae from massive first stars produce more metals, influencing the primordial gas by cooling it and enabling the formation of low-mass stars.
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