A group of astronomers analyzing data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) say some of the oldest galaxies in our universe appear much larger an

James Webb Space Telescope finds galaxies pointing toward a dark matter alternative

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2024-11-13 06:30:03

A group of astronomers analyzing data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) say some of the oldest galaxies in our universe appear much larger and brighter than expected, suggesting they formed early and grew rapidly — potentially without the influence of dark matter.

According to the researchers, the findings provide new clues that point toward an alternative to dark matter known as modified Newtonian dynamics, or MOND.

"The expectation was that every big galaxy we see in the nearby universe would have started from these itty-bitty pieces," Stacy McGaugh, who is an astrophysicist at the Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, said in a statement. "What the theory of dark matter predicted is not what we see."

The gradual hierarchical evolution of galaxies, which is thought to be driven by cold dark matter and is a crucial component of the standard cosmological model of our universe, is widely accepted because it explains the diverse shapes and sizes of galaxies sprinkled across the cosmos.

Yet, the JWST has not yet spotted the dim signals expected to emanate from those small, primitive fragments of galaxies in the early universe, McGaugh and his colleagues say. Instead, the telescope's data shows early galaxies were larger and brighter than anticipated, even as the team looked further back in time. The researchers argue that these galaxies grew too big, too quickly — well ahead of expectations set by conventional cold dark matter models.

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