At the centre of the Milky Way lies a mysterious dark region known as ‘the Brick’ – and it has just revealed a ‘monumental’ secret about the universe.
The swirling, turbulent gas cloud has confused astronomers for many years because although it looks the perfect candidate for the creation of new stars, much fewer are born than predicted.
Now, after pointing Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope at the Brick, scientists from the University of Florida (UF) think they may have discovered why it behaves so unusually, prompting a rethink of everything we know about the birth of stars.
The study, led by UF astronomer Dr Adam Ginsburg, made the ‘monumental’ discovery that the Brick contains far more carbon monoxide (CO) ice than previously thought – but is also warmer than it should be.
Dr Ginsburg explained that until now, no one knew just how much ice there was in the Galactic Centre – the rotational centre of the Milky Way where the Brick is found.
‘Our observations compellingly demonstrate that ice is very prevalent there, to the point that every observation in the future must take it into account,’ he said.
Stars typically emerge when gases are cool, meaning the significant presence of CO ice should suggest a thriving area for star formation in the Brick.
However, despite this wealth of CO ice, Dr Ginsburg found that the structure defies expectations, with the gas inside the Brick appearing to be warmer than other comparable clouds.
This turns previous understanding of the centre of the Milky Way and star formation on its head.
‘With JWST, we’re opening new paths to measure molecules in the solid phase [ice], while previously we were limited to looking at gas,’ Dr Ginsburg explained.
‘This new view gives us a more complete look at where molecules exist and how they are transported.’
To unveil the distribution of CO ice within this vast cloud, the researchers required intense backlighting from stars and hot gas, whereas previous observations of CO have been limited to emissions from gas.
Before JWST, measurements were confined to around a hundred stars. Now they include more than ten thousand stars and provide invaluable insights into the nature of interstellar ice.
Since the molecules present in our solar system today were, at some point, likely ice on small dust grains that combined to form planets and comets, the discovery also marks a leap forward toward understanding the origins of the molecules that shape our cosmic surroundings – and us.
These are just the team’s initial findings from a mere fraction of their JWST observations into the Brick, with Dr Ginsburg setting his sights on a more extensive survey of celestial ice in future research.
The study is published in the Astrophysical Journal.
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Dr. Thomas Hughes is a UK-based scientist and science communicator who makes complex topics accessible to readers. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
