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Universe seen at 'full throttle' | Universe seen at 'full throttle' |
(3 days later) | |
By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News | By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News |
A major effort is under way to observe the Universe in its most vibrant epoch. | A major effort is under way to observe the Universe in its most vibrant epoch. |
UK, Canadian and Dutch astronomers are looking back 10 billion years in time to see galaxies when they produced stars a thousand times faster than anything in the local cosmos today. | UK, Canadian and Dutch astronomers are looking back 10 billion years in time to see galaxies when they produced stars a thousand times faster than anything in the local cosmos today. |
The work employs a new camera recently fitted to the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii. | The work employs a new camera recently fitted to the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii. |
Scuba-2 is the most powerful instrument of its type ever built. | Scuba-2 is the most powerful instrument of its type ever built. |
It detects light at "sub-mm" wavelengths. That is light at wavelengths that are a 1,000 times longer than we can see with our eyes. | It detects light at "sub-mm" wavelengths. That is light at wavelengths that are a 1,000 times longer than we can see with our eyes. |
The researchers believe the camera will help lay bare one of the most exciting phases in the whole history of the Universe. | The researchers believe the camera will help lay bare one of the most exciting phases in the whole history of the Universe. |
"The Milky Way Galaxy today only produces maybe two suns a year amid a population of 100 billion suns," explained Prof James Dunlop from the University of Edinburgh. | "The Milky Way Galaxy today only produces maybe two suns a year amid a population of 100 billion suns," explained Prof James Dunlop from the University of Edinburgh. |
"We're now in a very peaceful place and time. But back when we're looking with Scuba-2, galaxies were forming stars a thousand times faster than that," he told BBC News. | "We're now in a very peaceful place and time. But back when we're looking with Scuba-2, galaxies were forming stars a thousand times faster than that," he told BBC News. |
Prof Dunlop was speaking here in Manchester at the href="http://www.jodrellbank.manchester.ac.uk/meetings/nam2012/" >UK National Astronomy Meeting (NAM), where he displayed some of the first really deep Scuba-2 images. | |
The camera is perfect for the task. The reason these distant starburst galaxies are seen in the sub-mm is a consequence of the rather tortuous route their light takes to get to us. | The camera is perfect for the task. The reason these distant starburst galaxies are seen in the sub-mm is a consequence of the rather tortuous route their light takes to get to us. |
Stars are born inside cold clouds of gas and dust, and much of their ultraviolet light will be absorbed by the dust grains. | Stars are born inside cold clouds of gas and dust, and much of their ultraviolet light will be absorbed by the dust grains. |
This warms the grains, which then radiate at far-infrared wavelengths. As this energy travels to Earth, it is stretched, or "redshifted" as astronomers say, to the sub-mm by the expansion of the Universe. | This warms the grains, which then radiate at far-infrared wavelengths. As this energy travels to Earth, it is stretched, or "redshifted" as astronomers say, to the sub-mm by the expansion of the Universe. |
These are, however, very faint light sources and Scuba-2 incorporates superchilled sensors to pick them up. | These are, however, very faint light sources and Scuba-2 incorporates superchilled sensors to pick them up. |
It is also aided by the fact that the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope sits atop the 4,300m-high Mauna Kea shield volcano. | It is also aided by the fact that the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope sits atop the 4,300m-high Mauna Kea shield volcano. |
At that altitude, observations can be conducted above much of the water vapour in the atmosphere that might otherwise block sub-mm emission. | At that altitude, observations can be conducted above much of the water vapour in the atmosphere that might otherwise block sub-mm emission. |
"You have to be very flexible in the schedule of the telescope because when you get these so-called grade one conditions and it's very dry up there, the atmosphere becomes transparent," said Prof Dunlop. | "You have to be very flexible in the schedule of the telescope because when you get these so-called grade one conditions and it's very dry up there, the atmosphere becomes transparent," said Prof Dunlop. |
In his NAM talk, the Edinburgh astronomer demonstrated the ability of Scuba-2 to resolve individual sources that could then be followed up by other observatories such as the Hubble Space Telescope to make further detailed studies at range of complementary wavelengths. | In his NAM talk, the Edinburgh astronomer demonstrated the ability of Scuba-2 to resolve individual sources that could then be followed up by other observatories such as the Hubble Space Telescope to make further detailed studies at range of complementary wavelengths. |
"Most of the action we want to see is about three billion years after the Big Bang, so about 10 billion years ago; and it lasts about a billion years," Prof Dunlop said. | "Most of the action we want to see is about three billion years after the Big Bang, so about 10 billion years ago; and it lasts about a billion years," Prof Dunlop said. |
"It's the peak epoch when elements heavier than the hydrogen and helium created in the Big Bang are being built in massive stars - all the carbon, oxygen and nitrogen; the stuff that makes us. It's when the cosmic foundry was at full throttle." | "It's the peak epoch when elements heavier than the hydrogen and helium created in the Big Bang are being built in massive stars - all the carbon, oxygen and nitrogen; the stuff that makes us. It's when the cosmic foundry was at full throttle." |
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter | Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter |
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