A group of astronomers believe they have made a groundbreaking discovery that could shed light on the creation of the universe. The researchers claim to have found the first chemical trace that proves the existence of massive stars in globular protoclusters, which were born just 440 million years after the Big Bang.
Globular clusters are dense groupings of stars that contain millions of stars and are found in all types of galaxies. However, the chemical composition of the stars in these clusters presents anomalies not seen in any other population of stars. This led a team of astronomers from the Universities of Geneva and Barcelona, as well as the Paris Institute of Astrophysics, to investigate further.
Using observations from the James Webb Space Telescope, the researchers were able to support their theory. The powerful space telescope captured light emitted by GN-z11, one of the most distant galaxies located 13.3 billion light years away. The light spectrum emitted by GN-z11 provided crucial information for the research.
The researchers found that the composition of protocluster stars varies, with differences in the proportion of oxygen, nitrogen, sodium, and aluminum. They termed these differences “anomalies of abundance.” In 2018, the team had developed a theoretical model suggesting that massive stars had contaminated the original gas cloud during the formation of the clusters, leading to the acquisition of chemical elements in a heterogeneous manner.
The researchers believe that these “celestial monsters” are 5,000 to 10,000 times more massive and five times hotter at their center (75 million °C) than the sun. The supermassive stars have a maximum lifespan of two million years, disappearing quickly from the cumulus clouds observed today.
The presence of nitrogen in the protocluster can only be explained by the combustion of hydrogen at extremely high temperatures, a process that only the core of supermassive stars could achieve. The researchers’ findings have been published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.
This discovery provides valuable insights into the early stages of the universe and the formation of stars. By sharing this knowledge, scientists hope to advance our understanding of the cosmos.