As of: March 9, 2024, 8:50 a.m
By: Tanja Banner
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When the galaxy GN-z11 was discovered by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2016, it was the oldest galaxy known to date.
The “James Webb” space telescope has now discovered the oldest black hole known to date.
(Archive image) © NASA, ESA, and P. Oesch (Yale University)
One of the oldest known galaxies holds a secret at its center.
Another discovery could provide clues to the very first stars in the universe.
Cambridge – The galaxy GN-z11 has been attracting scientific attention since its discovery in 2016 by the Hubble Space Telescope.
Its fascination stems from its great age, as it is one of the oldest known galaxies.
It already existed 430 million years after the Big Bang, with which the universe began 13.8 billion years ago.
Despite its age, the galaxy radiates remarkable brightness, a phenomenon that has puzzled scientists since its discovery.
Two research groups have now been able to uncover some of the secrets of this galaxy.
Roberto Maiolino from the University of Cambridge, who led the studies, explains in a statement from the US space agency NASA: "We found extremely dense gas, as is common near supermassive black holes that devour gas."
He adds: “These were the first clear signs that GN-z11 hosts a matter-devouring black hole.”
Supermassive black hole is located at the center of the galaxy GN-z11
The newly discovered supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy is the most distant active supermassive black hole discovered to date.
Another clue about the black hole was provided by the Near-Infrared Camera of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): The galaxy is emitting a very strong wind, a typical feature of a supermassive black hole that masses very quickly devours.
From this data, the researchers conclude that GN-z11 contains a black hole with about two million solar masses that is in a very active phase - hence its brightness.
A second research team, also led by Maiolino, made an even rarer discovery near GN-z11: a blob of gaseous helium.
This may sound unspectacular to laypeople, but for science it is an important discovery.
It's about searching for the very first stars, the so-called "Population III" stars.
These theoretical stars should consist almost entirely of hydrogen and helium.
Although they have not yet been detected in the universe, they are believed to be very massive, luminous and hot.
The very first stars in the universe may be hidden in the galaxy GN-z11
The signature of the very first stars is thought to have ionized helium, while elements heavier than helium should not be present.
Therefore, the discovery of the helium clump is of great importance, as Maiolino explains: "The fact that we don't see anything other than helium suggests that this clump must be fairly untouched."
The researcher adds: "This is something that was expected from theory and simulations near particularly massive galaxies from these epochs - that there should be pockets of pristine gas that could collapse and form Population III star clusters." So it appears that the research team may have found evidence of the very first stars in the universe.
Further studies of GN-z11 may reveal this - it has been clear for a few days that Maiolino can point the JWST at GN-z11 again to continue searching for the very first stars.
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