New Webb and ALMA observations show that a massive black hole shut down star formation in Pablo’s Galaxy by ejecting its cold gas. The findings suggest many early galaxies may fade through slow starvation rather than dramatic destruction.
The young galaxy GS-10578 as seen by the JWST which was starved to death by its supermassive black hole
Photo Credit: JADES collaboration
Scientists employing the James Webb Space Telescope and ALMA observations have revealed that a young galaxy, renamed Pablo's Galaxy in recognition of the astronomer who discovered it, was starved to death by a massive black hole at the center of the galaxy. Ranked as GS-10578, this young galaxy, as it was approximately 3 billion years after the Big Bang, is relatively massive. The galaxy ceased star formation some 11.5 billion years ago and has very little cold gas.
According to the new research, Webb's data revealed powerful outflows from Pablo's Galaxy. The telescope saw gas winds streaming out at ~400 km/s, ejecting ~60 solar masses of gas per year. This is fast enough for the material to escape the galaxy's gravity. Even with 7 hours of ALMA observations, astronomers detected essentially no carbon monoxide – indicating the cold hydrogen gas needed for new stars has run out. In effect, the black hole repeatedly expelled the galaxy's remaining gas, gradually starving it of fuel for star formation.
Scientists compare this situation to a cosmic 'death by a thousand cuts.' Jan Scholtz from Cambridge pointed out, "What surprised us was how much you can learn by not seeing something" — both Webb and ALMA detected almost no cold gas. Co-leader Francesco D'Eugenio added, "The black hole is killing this galaxy and keeping it dormant by cutting off its source of 'food.'" This implies that a lot of early galaxies might not be blown apart but rather starved by their black holes.
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