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Early Large Galaxies Stun Cosmologists
CEH ^
| April 2, 2009
Posted on 04/03/2009 8:32:37 AM PDT by GodGunsGuts
Early Large Galaxies Stun Cosmologists
April 02, 2009 Cosmology has a kind of Cambrian Explosion of its own to grapple with. Contrary to expectations, some of the earliest galaxies appear as large as current ones, if not larger. Astronomers, using the Subaru telescope in Hawaii, examined five galaxy clusters with ages estimated at 5 billion years after the Big Bang. Statements in a report on this study in
Nature News make it sound revolutionary:
- The findings could overturn existing models for the formation and evolution of galaxies that predict their slow and steady growth through mergers.
- They calculated the mass of the biggest galaxy in each of the clusters and found, to their surprise, that the ancient galaxies were roughly as big as the biggest galaxies in equivalent clusters in todays Universe.
- The ancient galaxies should have been much smaller, at only a fifth of todays mass, based on galaxy-formation models that predict slow, protracted growth.
- That was the reason for the surprise that it disagrees so radically with what the predictions told us we should be seeing, says Chris Collins of Liverpool John Moores University in Birkenhead, UK.
- We have a whole different story now about how galaxies form, says Avishai Dekel of the Hebrew University in Israel and first author of the earlier paper.
- For years, astronomers have relied on a hierarchical model of galaxy formation.... the models predicted that, to reach the massive galaxy sizes seen today, galaxies would have to steal their stars through mergers a slow process rather than growing their own.
- Its not yet certain how much of a readjustment the hierarchical model will need if the observations hold up.... But Collins says the underlying models of dark-matter mergers could have problems. I think the problem could be more general than just needing a tweaking.
Continuing the Cambrian explosion parallel, both the hierarchical model and newer, more radical model have to come up with a lot of growth and structure in a shorter amount of time. The simple hierarchical model, which expected stars would grow into galaxies and then into clusters, ran into problems early on, when it was realized that when cool hydrogen flows toward a nascent galactic center, it heats up. The heat quenches or stops further star formation, because Shock wavesare produced that expand outwards to agitate and heat up new gas on the periphery, preventing it from collapsing and falling in to form new stars.
That was the reason astronomers had for years used mergers to explain the growth of galaxies. If large galaxies already existed in the early universe, though, mergers become implausible. What is the alternative? One group suggests veins of cold gas, clinging to filaments of dark matter that can
pierce the hot gas shell of a growing galaxy and fuel its continued growth and lead to early galaxies growing rapaciously. It sounds like an ad hoc solution. It was proposed to get around the age problem. Is there any evidence? No one has seen dark matter, or knows what it is. The story ended with a hunt to explain glowing blobs of hydrogen gas in distant, ancient corners of the Universe
that might correspond with the proposed filaments. All parties agree that more work needs to be done.
We can see here the kind of mental gymnastics Darwinists would perform if someone found a Precambrian rabbit. The surprise level seems almost comparable. It never changes their core beliefs; it just changes the implausibility of the natural miracles they are willing to invoke to maintain their world view. For background, read an article in this months ICR magazine.
TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: cosmology; creation; evolution; idjunkscience; intelligentdesign
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To: metmom; DaveLoneRanger; editor-surveyor; betty boop; Alamo-Girl; MrB; GourmetDan; Fichori; ...
To: GodGunsGuts
The ancient galaxies should have been much smaller, at only a fifth of todays mass, based on galaxy-formation models that predict slow, protracted growth.Go figure. The cosmologists should consult with climatologists to be reassured that the computer models are correct and reality is wrong.
4
posted on
04/03/2009 8:36:06 AM PDT
by
randog
(Tap into America!)
To: GodGunsGuts
This only says there is more to learn.
That’s a good thing. We won’t be bored by all the answers at this moment.
5
posted on
04/03/2009 8:38:09 AM PDT
by
Glenn
(Free Venezuela!)
To: GodGunsGuts
“...based on galaxy-formation models...”
Galaxy models are just as accurate as climate models?
6
posted on
04/03/2009 8:40:03 AM PDT
by
pappyone
(New to Freep, still working a tag line.)
To: GodGunsGuts
Yes, Galaxies used to be huge..............
7
posted on
04/03/2009 8:42:43 AM PDT
by
Red Badger
(If Keynesian economics worked, Zimbabwe would be a superpower.......................)
To: Glenn
This only says there is more to learn.
No real danger of that happening within this crowd.
8
posted on
04/03/2009 8:45:09 AM PDT
by
cripplecreek
(The poor bastards have us surrounded.)
To: GodGunsGuts
Maybe the problem lies with Red Shift and inflation theories, rather than the size of galaxies.
9
posted on
04/03/2009 8:45:16 AM PDT
by
DBrow
To: Red Badger
Is that a Toxic Waste spill near the right front wheel?
10
posted on
04/03/2009 8:48:08 AM PDT
by
editor-surveyor
(The beginning of the O'Bummer administration looks a lot like the end of the Nixon administration)
To: Red Badger
LOL-that’s the only reason I opened this thread, as I knew someone would post a Galaxie pic.
11
posted on
04/03/2009 8:49:30 AM PDT
by
Carl LaFong
(Experts say experts should be ignored.)
To: GodGunsGuts
To: editor-surveyor
I suspect a Chevy owner was nearby..............
13
posted on
04/03/2009 8:50:36 AM PDT
by
Red Badger
(If Keynesian economics worked, Zimbabwe would be a superpower.......................)
To: GodGunsGuts
Does this assist a creationism theory argument? Seems to, esp. with the scientists in an uproar about their galaxy formation theories being blown apart, in a big bang of discovery if I may say so.
14
posted on
04/03/2009 8:53:17 AM PDT
by
BlueStateBlues
(Blue State for business, Red State at heart.........2012--can't come soon enough.)
house of cards continues to wobble....as the ‘scientists’ rush over to with glue, staple guns, paper mache’, tape, etc....(nothing to see here folks, move along, move along)
To: Red Badger
And,,, they looked at the galaxies “using the Subaru telescope in Hawaii!” Subarus make Galaxies look huge!
To: Red Badger
Yup, That’s a Ford Galaxy. I could tell by the oil leak!
17
posted on
04/03/2009 9:03:31 AM PDT
by
TaMoDee
To: GodGunsGuts
Why are you quoting real scientists again? How does this new observation support the supernatural creation of anything?
18
posted on
04/03/2009 9:05:45 AM PDT
by
Moonman62
(The issue of whether cheap labor makes America great should have been settled by the Civil War.)
To: GodGunsGuts
All parties agree that more work needs to be done. Which is to add a few more trillion years for it to happen!
19
posted on
04/03/2009 9:06:10 AM PDT
by
usslsm51
To: GodGunsGuts
Early Large Galaxies Stun CosmologistsCreationism predicted this would happen.
20
posted on
04/03/2009 9:09:35 AM PDT
by
Toddsterpatriot
(Math is hard. Harder if you're stupid.)
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