UF researchers help discover hyper-starburst galaxy

UF researchers have helped discover a galaxy that produces stars at an unusually high rate.

UF astronomers, along with researchers from the University of Illinois, published their findings November 2015. The galaxy, SPT0346-52, is a hyper-starburst galaxy, which produces stars at a rate of about 4,000 solar masses per year, said Jingzhe Ma, a UF astronomy doctoral student who lead the study.

The Milky Way only produces about one solar mass per year, she said. Researchers measured infrared light to confirm the rapid star formations when they realized the hyper-starburst galaxy was not being caused by a black hole.

“We really would like to see more galaxies like this and understand what triggers the star formation and how that affects the growth of a black hole,” she said.

Ma teamed up with Anthony Gonzalez, a UF astronomy professor, who guided her as she spent months analyzing data for the study, she said.

The galaxy was first noticed because of the high luminosity of infrared light that the stars emitted, Ma said. Although the galaxy appears bright, it shines more brightly in the infrared spectrum, which people cannot usually see.

The researchers suspected a black hole could cause the high luminosity, Ma said. But because they found no evidence of one in the galaxy, the luminosity had to be caused by high rates of star formation.

“What triggered that huge star-formation rate is still a mystery,” Ma said.

The SPT0346-52 hyper-starburst galaxy, which produces stars at an unusually high rate.