James Webb Space Telescope captures the first phase of star formation in distant galaxies - Phys.org

In a paper published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, researchers from Stockholm University have studied the first phase of star formation in distant galaxies.

"The galaxy clusters we examined are so massive that they bend light rays passing through their center, as predicted by Einstein in 1915.

The magnifying glass effect, together with the resolution of the James Webb Space Telescope, made it possible for the researchers to detect stellar clumps, very compact galaxy structures.

These observations allowed the researchers to study the link between clump formation and evolution and galaxy growth a few million years after the Big Bang in a way that has not been possible before.

The telescope is a game-changer for the entire field of research and helps us understand how galaxies form and evolve," says Angela Adamo, Oscar Klein Center, Stockholm University, one of the lead authors of the study.

More information: Adélaïde Claeyssens et al, Star formation at the smallest scales; A JWST study of the clump populations in SMACS0723, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society(2023).