Spiral Arms and Bars are Galactic Fuel Pumps for Star Formation

This image shows the dishes of the NOEMA interferometer and the ancient galaxies it studied. Along with JWST observations, new research shows that early galaxies channeled star forming gas with their spiral arms and bars, generating high star formation rates. Image Credit: Jean-Baptiste Jolly.

Astronomers thought that early galaxies were messy, clumpy, and turbulent from mergers. That means their gas was all stirred up. So what could explain the rapid star formation during the Cosmic Noon? New research shows that galaxies had well-ordered morphologies earlier than thought, and that their spiral arms and bars allowed gas to flow freely, forming more stars.

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