Astroquizzical: Could black holes be the engines of new galaxies? (Synopsis) [Starts With A Bang]


When young galaxies are first formed, they’re accompanied by tremendous bursts of star formation, giving rise to billions of new stars within just a few million years. Yet how these galaxies first form in the initial stages is very much an open question. In addition, pretty much every large galaxy we find — even in the extremely young Universe — has a supermassive black hole at its center.

Image credit: NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA).

Image credit: NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA).

Is it conceivable that these black holes are the engines of newly formed galaxies? Is it even possible that these black holes preceded the galaxies, and enabled them to form in the first place? It’s a big quasar-fueled question on this edition of Astroquizzical.

Image credit: NASA, ESA, and E. Glikman (Middlebury College, Vermont).

Image credit: NASA, ESA, and E. Glikman (Middlebury College, Vermont).

Jillian Scudder has the answers for you, and some amazing bonus information to boot!



from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1GfBrC3

When young galaxies are first formed, they’re accompanied by tremendous bursts of star formation, giving rise to billions of new stars within just a few million years. Yet how these galaxies first form in the initial stages is very much an open question. In addition, pretty much every large galaxy we find — even in the extremely young Universe — has a supermassive black hole at its center.

Image credit: NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA).

Image credit: NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA).

Is it conceivable that these black holes are the engines of newly formed galaxies? Is it even possible that these black holes preceded the galaxies, and enabled them to form in the first place? It’s a big quasar-fueled question on this edition of Astroquizzical.

Image credit: NASA, ESA, and E. Glikman (Middlebury College, Vermont).

Image credit: NASA, ESA, and E. Glikman (Middlebury College, Vermont).

Jillian Scudder has the answers for you, and some amazing bonus information to boot!



from ScienceBlogs http://ift.tt/1GfBrC3

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