JWST Reveals Frequent Extreme Outflows in Early Luminous Quasars
A new study published in Nature utilizes observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to investigate galaxy evolution in the early universe. The research addresses the challenge posed by the existence of abundant post-starburst and quiescent galaxies shortly after the Big Bang, which contradicts current evolutionary models. By analyzing luminous quasars at redshifts z ≈ 5–6, scientists detected exceptionally fast and powerful galaxy-scale outflows in 6 out of 27 samples. These outflows, traced by [O iii] emission, reached velocities up to 8,400 km/s and exhibited kinetic energy rates significantly higher than those found in lower-redshift comparison samples. The findings indicate that these extreme outflows are frequent and possess enough energy to reach the circumgalactic or intergalactic medium. This evidence strongly supports the theory that quasar feedback is a primary mechanism driving rapid star-formation quenching in early massive galaxies, effectively regulating their growth and explaining the presence of quiescent galaxies in the early cosmos.
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JWST Reveals Frequent Extreme Outflows in Early Luminous Quasars
A new study published in Nature utilizes observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to investigate galaxy evolution in the early universe. The research addresses the challenge posed by the existence of abundant post-starburst and quiescent galaxies shortly after the Big Bang, which contradicts current evolutionary models. By analyzing luminous quasars at redshifts z ≈ 5–6, scientists detected exceptionally fast and powerful galaxy-scale outflows in 6 out of 27 samples. These outflows, traced by [O iii] emission, reached velocities up to 8,400 km/s and exhibited kinetic energy rates significantly higher than those found in lower-redshift comparison samples. The findings indicate that these extreme outflows are frequent and possess enough energy to reach the circumgalactic or intergalactic medium. This evidence strongly supports the theory that quasar feedback is a primary mechanism driving rapid star-formation quenching in early massive galaxies, effectively regulating their growth and explaining the presence of quiescent galaxies in the early cosmos.
Nature