Medical and Hospital News  
PHYSICS NEWS
Cosmic lens reveals faint radio galaxy
by Staff Writers
Charlottesville VA (SPX) Mar 17, 2021

Composite image of galaxy cluster MACSJ0717.5+3745, with VLA radio image superimposed on visible-light image from Hubble Space Telescope. Pullout is detail of distant galaxy VLAHFF-J071736.66+374506.4 -- likely the faintest radio-emitting object yet found -- revealed by the magnifying effect of the gravitational lens.

Radio telescopes are the world's most sensitive radio receivers, capable of finding extremely faint wisps of radio emission coming from objects at the farthest reaches of the universe. Recently, a team of astronomers used the National Science Foundation's Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) to take advantage of a helping hand from nature to detect a distant galaxy that likely is the faintest radio-emitting object yet found.

The discovery was part of the VLA Frontier Fields Legacy Survey, led by NRAO Astronomer Eric Murphy, which used distant clusters of galaxies as natural lenses to study objects even farther away. The clusters served as gravitational lenses, using the gravitational pull of the galaxies in the clusters to bend and magnify light and radio waves coming from the more-distant objects.

In this composite, a VLA radio image is superimposed on a visible-light image from the Hubble Space Telescope. The prominent red-orange objects are radio relics - large structures possibly caused by shock waves - inside the foreground galaxy cluster, called MACSJ0717.5+3745, which is more than 5 billion light-years from Earth.

Detailed VLA observations showed that many of the galaxies in this image are emitting radio waves in addition to visible light. The VLA data revealed that one of these galaxies, shown in the pullout, is more than 8 billion light-years distant. Its light and radio waves have been bent by the intervening cluster's gravitational-lensing effect.

The radio image of this distant galaxy, called VLAHFF-J071736.66+374506.4, has been magnified more than 6 times by the gravitational lens, the astronomers said. That magnification is what allowed the VLA to detect it.

"This probably is the faintest radio-emitting object ever detected," said Ian Heywood, of Oxford University in the UK. "This is exactly why we want to use these galaxy clusters as powerful cosmic lenses to learn more about the objects behind them."

"The magnification provided by the gravitational lens, combined with extremely sensitive VLA imaging, gave us an unprecedented look at the structure of a galaxy 300 times less massive than our Milky Way at a time when the universe was less than half its current age. This is giving us valuable insights on star formation in such low-mass galaxies at that time and how they eventually assembled into more massive galaxies," said Eric Jimenez-Andrade, of NRAO.

The scientists are reporting their work in a pair of papers that are accepted into publication in the Astrophysical Journal.


Related Links
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
The Physics of Time and Space


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


PHYSICS NEWS
Gravity mission still unearthing hidden secrets
Paris (ESA) Mar 16, 2021
Despite ESA's GOCE mission ending over seven years ago, scientists continue to use this remarkable satellite's gravity data to delve deep and unearth secrets about our planet. Recent research shows how scientists have combined GOCE data with measurements taken at the surface to generate a new model of Earth's crust and upper mantle. This is the first time such a model has been created this way - and it is shedding new light on processes of plate tectonics, which, in turn, are related to phenomena such a ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

PHYSICS NEWS
Airbus and Draken Europe team to provide Second Generation UK Search and Rescue capability

In one French city, healing hardship on the front line for the jobless

Suspect charged with eight murders in Atlanta shootings

Pentagon leaders talk about border, hemispheric security at Senate hearing

PHYSICS NEWS
Ten years of safer skies with Europe's other satnav system

China Satellite Navigation Conference to highlight spatiotemporal data

A better way to measure acceleration

Latest progress in China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System

PHYSICS NEWS
Bones of ancient Mayan ambassador reveal a privileged but difficult life

Humans evolved to be the water-saving ape

Study: Neanderthals could perceive and produce human speech

Study: Social media users behave a lot like animals searching for food

PHYSICS NEWS
Mapping Liberia's ecosystems to understand their value

From poaching to avocados, Kenya's elephants face new threat

Americans brace for a rare and creepy billion-bug invasion

Endangered Australian songbird 'losing its song'

PHYSICS NEWS
Covid may become 'seasonal', UN says

Covid origins report postponed, likely due next week: WHO

China to issue visas to foreigners who have taken Chinese jab

Gilead, Merck team up to develop long-acting HIV drug

PHYSICS NEWS
China to put two Canadians on trial in coming days: Ottawa

Anti-China outrage pulls Beijing into Myanmar coup crisis

China 'very concerned' for safety of citizens in Myanmar

Trial set to begin of Canadian detained in China

PHYSICS NEWS
Crew of Chinese boat freed from kidnappers: Nigerian army

USS Winston Churchill crews seize illegal weapons off coast of Somalia

Jade and rubies: how Myanmar's military amassed its fortune

PHYSICS NEWS








The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.