A group of galaxies and the faint light between them have been turned into a new technique to study stars.
The lead author of the study said that they don't know much about light in groups.
The light within the group is 50 times fainter than the lightest sky on Earth. Even with the largest telescopes on Earth, it is difficult to detect.
The researchers were able to study and tell the story of the stars that populate it by using their sensitive technique, which eliminates light from all objects except that from the intra- group light.
We looked at the properties of the stray stars in the group. We looked at the age and abundance of elements that made them, and then we compared them to the stars that are still in the same group.
The light from the group is younger and less metal-rich than the rest of the universe.
The story of light within a group is being rebuilt.
The orphan stars in the group were of a different origin than their neighbors. The character of the stars in the group was similar to that of a distant galaxy.
The researchers were able to reconstruct the history of the inter-group light and how it came to be in their orphanage.
Dr. Martnez-Lombilla said that they think the individual stars were stripped from their home galaxies and now are free to fly. It's caused by the passage of massive satellite galaxies that pull stars in their wake.
This is the first time the group light has been seen.
A fossil record of all the interactions a group of galaxies has undergone is provided by unveiling the quantity and origin of the light.
These events happened many years ago. We are observing the galaxies as they were 2.5 billion years ago. How long does it take for their light to reach us?
The researchers are contributing vital data points to the evolution of Cosmic Events by observing events from a long time ago.
A treatment procedure for images.
This penetrating view was achieved by the researchers.
Dr. Martnez-Lombilla said that they had developed a procedure that would allow them to analyze the faintest structures in the Universe.
The standard steps for the study of faint structures in astronomical images include 2D modeling and the removal of all light.
"What makes our technique different is that it is very modular and easily applicable to different sets of data from different telescopes rather than being just useful for these images"
The most important outcome is that every step of the study should be accounted for and eliminated. If you don't, your measurement will be incorrect.
Dr. Martnez-Lombilla said that the techniques presented in this study are a pilot.
The main goal is to extend the results to a large sample of the universe. We can look at statistics to find out the typical properties of the formation and evolution of the group of light.
The next generation of deep all-sky surveys such as those to be performed with the LSST with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory are being prepared.
There is more information on the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
Journal information: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
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