70 dusty galaxies at the edge of the universe may revise cosmic history

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope and ALMA identified 70 dusty, star-forming galaxy candidates seen less than 1 billion years after the Big Bang, with some forming about 500 million years after the Big Bang.

Scientists used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA) to study 70 dusty, star-forming galaxy candidates at the edge of the observable universe. These objects are seen as they were less than 1 billion years after the Big Bang. ALMA first identified about 400 bright, dusty galaxies, and JWST follow-up narrowed the sample to 70 faint candidates. The team reports some of these galaxies formed as early as 500 million years after the Big Bang. Key observations: - Seventy dusty, star-forming galaxy candidates were identified using combined JWST and ALMA data. - ALMA initially found a population of about 400 bright, dusty galaxies. - JWST follow-up reduced the sample to 70 faint candidates, most of which had not been seen before. - Some galaxies are dated to roughly 500 million years after the Big Bang. - The galaxies appear to contain significant amounts of heavy elements ("metals") earlier than current models predict. Summary: If these dusty galaxies are connected to ultrabright star-forming systems and to older quiescent galaxies, that link could imply star formation and metal enrichment began earlier than current theories predict. The result points to gaps in our understanding of galactic evolution. Researchers report that additional study is needed to test connections between these populations. Undetermined at this time.