The space telescope reveals a cosmic mystery: oxygen produced by stars is expelled into intergalactic space more efficiently than expected.
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has uncovered a mystery in our cosmic neighborhood. By studying 37 nearby dwarf galaxies, researchers have detected that much of the oxygen expected to be found within these galaxies is missing.
The observations show that galactic winds driven by supernova explosions are more effective than anticipated at removing oxygen from low-mass galaxies. According to the study published in The Astrophysical Journal, dwarf galaxies can retain only a small fraction of the oxygen produced by their stars.
Oxygen is the most abundant element after hydrogen and helium and is produced by stars during their existence. Normally, scientists expect to find this oxygen inside the galaxies where it formed, as it serves as a tracer for the broader set of heavy elements.
The mystery arose when computer simulations predicted that dwarf galaxies should contain significantly more oxygen than Hubble actually observed. The explanation is that oxygen is expelled into intergalactic space by galactic winds, driven by the energy from massive stars and their explosions as supernovae. This process appears to be particularly effective in smaller galaxies, which have weaker gravity to retain their own elements.
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