Beijing, May 10 - In a groundbreaking scientific achievement, Chinese astronomers have made the first direct detection of an extremely distant group of neutral hydrogen galaxies, providing new insights into the early universe.
Collaboration and Technology
Led by Peng Bo of the National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC), the research team utilized the advanced sensitivity of the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) and the wide field of view of the 19-beam receiver to conduct a deep "blind search" for distant and faint neutral hydrogen galaxies. Their efforts resulted in the discovery of six such galaxies located approximately 5 billion light-years from Earth.
Significance of Neutral Hydrogen
Neutral hydrogen, the primordial form of hydrogen, is prevalent in the universe and serves as an invaluable tool for studying the distribution of matter at different cosmic epochs. Its detection and investigation hold immense significance in unraveling the properties of dark matter and dark energy, as well as understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies. FAST has previously detected over 40,000 neutral hydrogen galaxy samples.
Collaborations and Optical Identification
According to Peng Bo, the research team collaborated extensively with other research groups in and outside China, utilizing comprehensive multi-band observational data from multiple telescopes to successfully identify the optical counterparts of the six neutral hydrogen galaxies. FAST has opened a new avenue for detecting distant neutral hydrogen galaxies.
Implications for Future Discoveries
The team also estimated the density of the neutral hydrogen galaxies, with one of the six galaxies possessing the largest neutral hydrogen mass detected to date. As FAST continues to make more discoveries in the realm of neutral hydrogen, researchers anticipate further revelations about the enigmatic nature of the universe.
Summary:
Chinese astronomers have used FAST to detect six neutral hydrogen galaxies 5 billion light-years away, the farthest such galaxies ever directly observed. This discovery provides new insights into the early universe and opens possibilities for further exploration of dark matter, dark energy, and galaxy formation.