The interior light of the SMACS-J0723.3-7327 cluster was captured with the NIRCAM camera aboard the JWST. Data processing by the IAC team to improve intergalactic tracking in low light (black and white) conditions. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI.
In galaxy clusters, there are a small number of stars that wander through intergalactic space because they are attracted by the enormous tidal forces generated between the galaxies in the cluster. The light from these stars is called internal light (ICL) and is very faint. It is less than 1% brighter than the darkest sky we can observe from Earth. This is one reason why images from space are so valuable for analysis.
Infrared wavelengths allow us to study galaxy clusters differently than with visible light. Thanks to its efficiency Infrared wavelength And for the clarity of the JWST images, IAC researchers Mireia Montes and Ignacio Trujillo were able to study the deep light of SMACS-J0723.3-7327 in an unprecedented level of detail. In fact, this image from the cluster’s JWST center is twice as deep as previous images obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope.
“In this study, we demonstrate the great potential of JWST for observing very faint objects,” explains Mireia Montes, first author of the paper. “This will allow us to learn cluster of galaxies Which is much further and more detailed.
To analyze this faint ‘ghost’ light and the need for the observing capabilities of new telescopes, researchers have developed a new analytical technique, which improves on existing methods. “In this work, we need to perform some additional processing on the JWST images to be able to study the light inside the clusters, due to their weak and elastic structure. This is key to avoid bias in our measurements,” Mireia said.
The first James Webb Telescope “inner field” image to study the light in the cluster for SMACS-J0723.3-7327. Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
Thanks to the data obtained, researchers can demonstrate the potential of light inside clusters to study and understand the processes involved in the formation of massive structures such as galaxy clusters. By analyzing this scattered light, we found that the interior of the cluster was formed by the merger of massive galaxies, while the exterior was caused by the accumulation galaxy Similar to our galaxy, the Milky Way.
But these observations provide clues not only about the formation of galaxy clusters, but also about the nature of a mysterious component of our universe: dark matter. The light-emitting stars within the cluster follow the cluster’s gravitational field, making this light an excellent tracker for the distribution of dark matter in these structures.
JWST will allow us to configure the distribution dark matter In this colossal structure, their essential nature is illuminated with unprecedented precision”, concludes Ignacio Trujillo, author of both articles.
This document is published in Astrophysics journal letter.
further information:
Mireia Montes et al, New Era of Intracluster Light Studies with JWST, Astrophysics journal letter (2022). DOI: 10.3847/2041-8213/ac98c5
Introduction from
Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands
Citation: James Webb Telescope Produces Unprecedented Spectral Light Show in Galaxy Cluster (2022, December 2) Retrieved December 2, 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-12-james-webb-telescope- unparalleled view . programming language
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