Picture of the James Webb Telescopes “First Deep Field” that has actually made it possible to study the intra-cluster light of the SMACS-J0723.3 -7327 cluster. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
” In this research study, we show the excellent capacity of Webb for observing an object which is so faint” explains Mireia Montes, the very first author of the short article. “This will let us study galaxy clusters which are much even more away, and in much greater information” she includes.
In order to examine this extremely faint “ghostly” light, in addition to needing the observational ability of the brand-new space telescope, the scientists have actually developed brand-new analysis methods, which improve on existing approaches. “In this work, we required to do some extra processing to the Webb images to be able to study the intracluster light, as it is a faint and prolonged structure. That was key to prevent predispositions in our measurements” says Mireia.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the next terrific area science observatory following Hubble, created to answer impressive questions about the Universe and to make development discoveries in all fields of astronomy. It is the most effective infrared science observatory ever to be sent into area. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab
Thanks to the information got the researchers have actually had the ability to demonstrate the potential of the intracluster light for studying and comprehending the procedures which go into the development of structures as massive as clusters of galaxies. “Analyzing this scattered light we discover that the inner parts of the cluster are being formed by a merger of huge galaxies, while the external parts are because of the accretion of galaxies similar to our Milky Way” she keeps in mind.
But these observations not just provide ideas about the formation of galaxy clusters, but likewise about the properties of a strange part of our universe: dark matter. The stars which give off the intracluster light follow the gravitational field of the cluster, that makes this light an excellent tracer of the circulation of the dark matter in these structures.” The Webb will let us define the distribution of the dark matter in these huge structures with unmatched accuracy, and throw light on its standard nature” concludes Ignacio Trujillo, the 2nd author of the post.
Recommendation: “A New Era of Intracluster Light Studies with JWST” by Mireia Montes and Ignacio Trujillo, 1 December 2022, The Astrophysical Journal Letters.DOI: 10.3847/ 2041-8213/ ac98c5.
Picture of the intracluster light of the cluster SMACS-J0723.3 -7327 acquired with the NIRCAM electronic camera on board of Webb. The data have been processed by the IAC team to enhance the detection of the faint light in between the galaxies (black and white). Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
Data acquired by the new James Webb Space Telescope was utilized by a recent study that has actually produced the most total analysis to date of the intracluster light, the diffuse and faint light released by stars in galaxy clusters that are not gravitationally bound to any galaxy. The research study gives new clues about the development processes of galaxy clusters, and the homes of dark matter. The research study, which was completely done by scientists at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), was published in the specialized journal The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
In clusters of galaxies, there is a fraction of stars that roam off into intergalactic area due to the fact that they are taken out by big tidal forces generated in between the galaxies in the cluster. The light emitted by these stars is called the intracluster light (ICL) and is extremely faint. Its brightness is less than 1% of the brightness of the darkest sky we can observe from Earth. This is one reason images taken from space are really valuable for analyzing it.
Infrared wavelengths allow us to explore clusters of galaxies in a various method than with noticeable light. Thanks to its efficiency at infrared wavelengths and the sharpness of the images of the Webb, IAC scientists Mireia Montes and Ignacio Trujillo have had the ability to explore the intracluster light from SMACS-J0723.3 -7327 with an unmatched level of information. In reality, the images from the Webb of the center of this cluster are two times as deep as the previous images acquired by the Hubble Space Telescope.
Image of the intracluster light of the cluster SMACS-J0723.3 -7327 gotten with the NIRCAM video camera on board of Webb. Data obtained by the new James Webb Space Telescope was utilized by a current study that has actually produced the most total analysis to date of the intracluster light, the diffuse and faint light discharged by stars in galaxy clusters that are not gravitationally bound to any galaxy. The light released by these stars is called the intracluster light (ICL) and is extremely faint. Infrared wavelengths enable us to check out clusters of galaxies in a different way than with visible light. The stars which give off the intracluster light follow the gravitational field of the cluster, which makes this light an outstanding tracer of the circulation of the dark matter in these structures.