By studying the ultraviolet universe, scientists can now explain dwarf galaxies. Cosmological simulations reveal that there are other smaller galaxies in the universe, called dwarf galaxies. Now, scientists have a way to understand these smaller dwarf galaxies.
A paper published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society shows that researchers claim that UV background of the universe could explain what is going on in the dwarf galaxies, IFL Science reported. According to the study, black holes and young hot stars emit a big amount of UV light, which warms up the gas surrounding them. If the gases get too warm, new stars will be prohibited from forming. This stops the creation of more stars in these smaller galaxies.
Since the dwarf galaxies are in the darker regions of the universe, it would be hard for scientists to study them. But by focusing on ultraviolet universe' background, scientists can observe these dwarf galaxies where it is too dark to see.
Durham University's Dr Michele Fumagalli, who is also the lead author, said the huge amounts of ultraviolet radiation produced by giant black holes and massive stars leads to the build up of ultraviolet background, Newsweek reported. She said that their research allows them to measure and map the UV radiation to help them enhance their models of galaxy formation.
Young galaxies are filled with hydrogen gas. These gases will absorb the UV light and re-emits it into something more visible to Earth. Researchers will estimate the total amount of UV background by measuring the red light.
The researches tested their claim on galaxy UGC 7321, which is 30 million light-years away from Earth. They detected a glowing light around the galaxy and determined the UV background's value. Their finding is consistent with the rest of the estimates done with different methods. Through the simulations done, the researchers found out that the Milky Way is surrounded by 500 small galaxies, and only 50 of them have been observed at present.
