Scientists shared new findings and updates from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, also called “Webb” or “JWST,” at press conferences during the 241st meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) in Seattle, Jan. 8-12. Scientists from NASA and universities shared with Webb results from many different scientific fields, from the early evolution of the universe and galaxies to the atmospheres of exoplanets and the formation of young stars.
First view of galaxy structure evolution at z = 3-9 with JWST
The researchers analyzed the morphologies, or visual appearance and structure, of 850 distant galaxies from observations with Webb’s Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) instrument and compared them to their morphologies based on previous Hubble Space Telescope imaging. The term “z” refers to the redshift of the observed galaxies and is a measure of the object’s distance.
As part of the Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science (CEERS) Survey, scientists performed a visual classification of each galaxy as well as quantitative measurements of galaxy structure. Overall, the findings showed galaxies with a wide variety of morphologies up to the highest redshifts, and many that have different morphologies than those previously observed with HST.
Searching for Peas in the Early Universe with JWST
A new analysis of distant galaxies captured by Webb shows that they are extremely young and share some striking similarities with “green peas,” a rare class of small galaxies that still exist in our cosmic backyard. The Green Pea Galaxy appears as small, round, indistinct dots with a distinctly green hue. The researchers made a connection between distant galaxies from Webb’s first deep field and these nearby galaxies, which can be studied. Approaching the Shocked and Turbulent Intergalactic Medium in the Stephan Quintet with JWST and ALMA”
The shock waves caused by the violent collision between the intruding galaxy and the Stephan quintet help astronomers understand how turbulence affects the gas in the intergalactic medium. New observations with Webb and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) revealed that a sonic boom several times larger than the Milky Way set off a recycling race for warm and cold molecular hydrogen gas. What’s more, the scientists revealed the disintegration of the giant cloud into a nebula of warm gas, the possible collision of two clouds forming a splash of warm gas around them, and the formation of a new galaxy
Large number of candidate galaxies at z ~ 11-20 revealed by JWST early release observations
Using data from Webb’s First Deep Field, the SMACS 0723-73 field, the researchers found a total of 87 candidate galaxies with a redshift, or “z,” greater than 11. This is the first large sample of candidate galaxies at such a high redshift. . According to the researchers, such a number of candidate objects at such high redshifts was not expected from previously favored predictions and warrants further investigation.
Dusty Hearts of Galaxies Revealed with JWST
The nearby Seyfert galaxy NGC 7469, which hosts an active supermassive black hole surrounded by a star-forming ring at its center, provides an ideal laboratory for the detailed investigation of the interaction between a black hole and its host galaxy. Webb’s high-resolution mid-infrared spectroscopic capability not only allowed a clear view of this phenomenon through the dusty veil, but also for the first time allowed scientists to map and trace the movement of cool molecular and ionized gas species nearby.
To the active core. This study revealed a highly ionized outflow driven by the central supermassive black hole in NGC 7469, which also heats the nearby interstellar medium through shocks and destroys small dust grains, demonstrating the telescope’s power in revealing the physics of the feedback processes underlying the co-evolution of black holes and galaxies
JWST images debris disk system hosting young planet
Scientists have shared Webb NIRCam images of the famed AU Microscopii (or AU Mic) debris-rimmed system. These images mark the first detection of the disc at these infrared wavelengths (3-4 microns), allowing new insight into the composition of the material in the disc. Although no planets have been detected, the data is sensitive to planets roughly twice the mass of Neptune—significantly limiting any as-yet-unseen planets that might remain.
Constraining the presence of a rocky exoplanet atmosphere from the JWST transmission spectrum. For the first time, scientists have used Webb to confirm an exoplanet, a planet that orbits another star. Formally classified as LHS 475 b, this planet is almost exactly the same size as our own and is 99% the diameter of Earth.
The team decided to observe this target with Webb after a careful review of targets of interest from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), which indicated the existence of a planet. Webb’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) captured the planet easily and clearly with just two transit observations.
First imaging results with JWST: Young star formation in NGC 346
NCG 346 is located in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), a dwarf galaxy near our Milky Way. The SMC contains lower concentrations of elements heavier than hydrogen or helium, which astronomers call metals, compared to the Milky Way. Since dust grains in space are composed mostly of metals, scientists expected that there would be a small amount of dust and that it would be difficult to detect. New data from Webb reveals otherwise.
