Dr. Adam Watts of The University of Western Australia node at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), and lead researcher, explained that the outflow results from intense stellar explosions in the galaxy's core, capable of propelling vast quantities of hydrogen and other elements outward.
The volume of expelled gas rivals the mass of over 50 million Suns. "Outflows are generally elusive, making their physics and properties challenging to study," noted Dr. Watts. "However, this outflow's richness in heavy elements like oxygen, nitrogen, and sulphur provides a rare insight into the mixing dynamics of hydrogen and metals in such ejections."
These gas outflows play a critical role in regulating star formation within galaxies by distributing 'pollutant' elements across the interstellar and intergalactic spaces, potentially halting further stellar development.
The data contributing to this discovery comes from the MAUVE survey, led by ICRAR's Professors Barbara Catinella and Luca Cortese, who utilized the MUSE Integral Field Spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope in Chile. "MAUVE is designed to explore how processes like gas outflows contribute to the cessation of star formation in galaxies," said Professor Catinella. "Our initial observations of NGC 4383 have surpassed our expectations, highlighting the significant impact of these outflows."
The findings promise to enhance understanding of galactic dynamics through continued MAUVE observations in the local Universe.
Research Report:MAUVE: A 6 kpc bipolar outflow launched from NGC4383, one of the most Hi-rich galaxies in the Virgo cluster
Related Links
International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research
Stellar Chemistry, The Universe And All Within It
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