New insights into one of the oldest known galaxies
An international consortium of astronomers has employed the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) together with the natural magnification provided by gravitational lensing to conduct a definitive spectroscopic study of LAP1‑B, an ultra‑faint galaxy dating back roughly 13 billion years.
The combination of JWST’s infrared spectroscopy and the lensing effect of a massive foreground galaxy amplified the faint signal, allowing researchers to determine the galaxy’s chemical makeup with unprecedented precision. The analysis revealed an oxygen abundance of just one‑two‑hundred‑and‑fortieth of the solar value, setting a new low for galaxies observed at such early epochs.
This exceptionally low metallicity indicates that LAP1‑B experienced minimal enrichment from previous generations of stars, offering a rare glimpse into the conditions prevailing shortly after the Big Bang.
- JWST provided high‑resolution infrared spectra.
- Gravitational lensing boosted the galaxy’s faint light.
- Measured oxygen level is approximately 0.4 % of the Sun’s.
The findings advance our understanding of chemical evolution in the early universe and suggest that many primordial galaxies were even more primitive than current models predict.