Researchers have created the first high-resolution map of a giant galactic explosion, providing insights on how the space between galaxies is polluted with chemicals.
Astronomers studied galaxy NGC 4383, in the nearby Virgo cluster, and captured a gas outflow so large it would take 20,000 years for light to travel from one side to the other.
The discovery was published in the Royal Astronomical Society's journal Monthly Notices on Monday.
Lead author Adam Watts, from the University of Western Australia node at the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), said the gas outflow was the result of powerful stellar explosions in the central regions of the galaxy.
The mass of gas ejected is equivalent to more than 50 million suns.
"Very little is known about the physics of outflows and their properties because outflows are very hard to detect," Watts said.
"The ejected gas is quite rich in heavy elements giving us a unique view of the complex process of mixing between hydrogen and metals in the outflowing gas."
In this case, researchers detected oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur and many other chemical elements.
Gas outflows regulate how fast and for how long galaxies can keep forming stars. The ejected gas can pollute the space between stars within a galaxy, and between galaxies, forever.
A high-resolution map was created with data from the MAUVE survey, co-led by ICRAR researchers Barbara Catinella and Luca Cortese.
MAUVE is a large program on the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in northern Chile.
"We designed MAUVE to investigate how physical processes such as gas outflows help stop star formation in galaxies," Catinella said.
"NGC 4383 was our first target, as we suspected something very interesting was happening, but the data exceeded all our expectations.
"We hope that in the future, MAUVE observations reveal the importance of gas outflows in the local universe with exquisite detail."
Australian Associated Press
