Astronomers have discover a treasure treasure trove of organic molecule in the heart of the Sculptor Galaxy , which is locate 11 million light-colored - eld from us . The team find eight massive dust clouds in the coltsfoot and were able-bodied to take incredibly detailed observations of these target .
As reported in theAstrophysical Journal , the squad used the Atacama Large Millimeter / submillimeter Array ( ALMA ) to zoom in on molecular cloud about 30 light - years across . In one fussy swarm , they detected 19 different organic molecules , an incredible profuseness not seen before outside the Milky Way .
“ The data point are fill with the signals of various molecules , ” booster cable author Ryo Ando , from the University of Tokyo , said in astatement . “ It is like a woodland of mote . ”
This is the first time “ molecular forests ” have been detected in another galaxy . The terminal figure " wood " comes from the appearance that the luminousness spectrum has when lots of unlike chemical are seen next to each other . These forests are form in the large reservoirs of petrol and dust surrounding newly born headliner . This environment look to be particularly suitable for chemical reactions that leave for the constitution of many molecular specie .
The team observed methanal , hydrogen nitrile , wood alcohol , acetic superman , and many other organic molecules in the eight cloud . The identification number of chemical substance signal observed wide-ranging between clouds suggesting that although located near each other , they might have evolved in dissimilar ways .
“ With its unprecedented resolution and sensitiveness , ALMA showed us the detailed structure of the clouds , ” contribute Ando . “ To my surprise , the gas swarm have a warm chemical individuality despite their similarity in sizing and mass . ”
One peculiarly striking difference is between the cloud with the 19 species and another one only a 12 or so light class aside . The latter cloud has a very thin chemical substance piece of music . The assembly and evolution of these swarm could be very authoritative in understanding the phylogenesis of galax as a whole .
The Sculptor Galaxy , also known as NGC 253 , is an extremely active helical galaxy . It is a starburst wandflower as it is undergoing an intense period of star formation . research worker trust that by studying Sculptor , which is comparatively confining - by , they will be able to work out what die on in the many starburst galaxies that we have take note around the existence .
