Astronomers Map Star Formation in Center of NGC 1386 – Sci.News
Astronomers have produced the most detailed map yet of star formation in the central region of the galaxy NGC 1386. The new map reveals a turbulent region with large-scale flows of gas, where star formation occurs in clusters rather than being evenly spread across the galaxy.
Located approximately 60 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Fornax, NGC 1386 is a barred spiral galaxy with a relatively bright nucleus and a faint ring-like structure. The galaxy hosts a supermassive black hole at its center. Recent observations show that NGC 1386 is experiencing significant star formation, fueled by the inward flow of gas and its interaction with the supermassive black hole. However, understanding the detailed process of star formation in this region has been a challenge.
To shed light on this phenomenon, researchers from the University of Rochester led a team of astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to observe the central region of NGC 1386 in unprecedented detail. ALMA’s powerful capabilities allowed them to study the motion and distribution of the cold molecular gas that serves as the fuel for star formation.
The new ALMA observations have revealed that star formation in the central region of NGC 1386 is not a smooth process. The researchers discovered that the region is filled with large-scale flows of gas, moving at hundreds of kilometers per second. This dynamic environment results in clusters of newborn stars scattered across the central region rather than a uniform distribution.
“We discovered that star formation in this galaxy’s central region is governed by a chaotic flow of molecular gas,” explained Dr. Adrienne Doherty, lead author of the study, who was a postdoctoral associate at the University of Rochester and now a professor at the University of Wyoming. “Our observations clearly show that stars are forming not in isolated locations, but in a few, larger, clustered locations spread across the region, which suggests that the larger gas flow governs where the stars form.”
One of the most significant discoveries of the study is the presence of a “superbubble.” This massive cavity, several hundred light-years wide, appears to have been carved out of the surrounding gas by powerful winds and supernovae associated with a starburst event. This super-bubble provides insights into how star formation influences the surrounding gas, generating outflows that shape the galactic environment.
The astronomers were also able to map the orientation and flow of the gas across the galaxy’s center. The orientation and movement of these large gas flows strongly correlate to the movement of gas farther out in the galaxy. This connection suggests that star formation at the galaxy’s core has a profound impact on the overall distribution of gas in the galaxy.
“What we’ve learned about NGC 1386 helps us understand not just the gas flows that impact star formation in one galaxy, but also in a broader galactic context. Galaxies aren’t isolated systems – the activity in one part of the galaxy has a strong influence on other parts,” noted Professor Joel Green, co-author on the study and Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Rochester. “This detailed view shows how the gas moves, reacts and provides insight into the complicated relationship between black holes, super-bubbles, star formation and gas movement in the galaxy. We’ve gone from thinking that star formation is evenly spread across the galaxy to understanding that gas flow creates large structures, such as these super-bubbles, that are critical to star formation.”
These findings contribute to a broader understanding of how star formation takes place in galaxy centers, offering valuable insight into the interaction between supermassive black holes and gas dynamics. With continued research, astronomers hope to uncover the complex processes driving star formation in the nuclei of galaxies, leading to a deeper comprehension of galactic evolution.
