I-James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) iyaqhubeka nokumangaza umhlaba ngezinto ezimangalisayo ezikutholile, ikhanyisela izimfihlakalo ezimnyama kakhulu endaweni yonke. Selokhu yethulwa, isibonakude sibe yithuluzi elibalulekile ekwandiseni ulwazi lwethu, hhayi kuphela ngemithala ekude, kodwa futhi mayelana nama-exoplanets angaba nezinkomba ezibalulekile ekufuneni ukuphila kwangaphandle.
Muva nje, i-James Webb ivumele ukubonwa kwezimo ezimbili ezishiye umphakathi wesayensi ungakhulumi. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, iye yembula imininingwane yomthala ogcwele igesi kangangokuthi izinkanyezi zawo azibonakali, futhi ngakolunye, iye yaqinisekisa ukuba khona kwe-exoplanet umkhathi wayo wakhiwe ngokuyinhloko umhwamuko wamanzi.
Umthala ofihlwe yigesi yawo
Enye yezinto ezihlaba umxhwele kakhulu ezitholwe yisibonakude yileso somthala I-GS-NDG-9422, okwaziwa nangokuthi 9422. Lo mthala usungomunye wenqaba engakaze ibonwe. Ngamathuluzi athuthukile weWebb, njenge I-Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), izazi zezinkanyezi zikwazile ukuhlaziya ukwakheka kwayo okuyingqayizivele.
Okumangalisa kakhulu nge-9422 ukuthi igesi eyizungezile ikhanya kakhulu futhi iminyene kangangokuthi awukwazi ukubona izinkanyezi ngaphakathi. Lesi senzakalo siye sabamangalisa ososayensi, abasichaza ngokuthi “isixhumanisi esingekho” ekuziphendukeleni kwemithala. Ngokwezifundo eziholwa u-Alex Cameron, wase-University of Oxford, umthala ucwiliswe esigabeni esisebenza kakhulu sokwakheka kwezinkanyezi. Igesi elikhazimulayo livimbela izibonakude ekuthwebuleni ukukhanya kwezinkanyezi, into engakaze ibonwe ngokucace kangaka.
Ukulingisa okwenziwa ithimba labacwaningi kubonisa ukuthi izinkanyezi zalo mthala zingafinyelela amazinga okushisa angaphezu kwavamile. 80.000ºC, ephakeme kakhulu kunalokho esivame ukukubona endaweni yonke eseduze, lapho izinkanyezi ezinkulu ezishisa kakhulu zifinyelela ku-50.000º Celsius. Lawa mazinga okushisa aphakeme kakhulu angahlobene nentsha yomthala, osezigabeni zawo zokuqala zokuthuthuka.
Ukulingisa kanye nemibono mayelana nomthala
Ukuze uqonde kangcono ukuthi kwenzekani ngaphakathi kwe-GS-NDG-9422, izazi zezinkanyezi zenze ukulingisa kwamafu egesi ye-galactic. Lezi zifaniso zibonise ukuziphatha okungajwayelekile okuhambisana nalokho okuthathwe yi-Webb. Igesi ikhanya kakhulu ngenxa yokukhishwa kwama-photon akhanya ngokwedlulele, akhiqizwa izinkanyezi ezinkulu, ezishisayo. U-Alex Cameron uzwakalise ukuthi ukutholakala kwamangaza iqembu, njengoba ukukhanya kwegesi kunamandla kakhulu kunalokho abebekulindele kumthala walolu hlobo.
Isenzakalo esibhekwayo sifana nalokho okwabikezelwa ngezinkanyezi ze- Inani labantu III, izinkanyezi zokuqala ezakha endaweni yonke, nakuba izinkanyezi ngo-9422 ziye zanqunywa njengeziyingxenye yaleli qembu. Lokhu kungenxa yobunkimbinkimbi bamakhemikhali obukhona kumthala, obuphikisana nalokho okulindeleke kumthala onezinkanyezi ze-Population III.
Kusenemibuzo eminingi okufanele ixazululwe, njengokuthi ingabe lesi simo sivamile emithaleni emincane noma ukuthi i-9422 iyi-anomaly. Izazi zezinkanyezi ziyaqhubeka nokubheka izibonelo ezengeziwe zemithala efana nalo ukuze ziyiqhathanise futhi ziqonde kangcono ukuthi imithala yokuqala yavela kanjani ngemva kweBig Bang.
I-Galaxy 9422 ngokungangabazeki izoba yindaba yocwaningo iminyaka eminingi ezayo njengoba ososayensi bezama ukwembula izimfihlo zayo. Kodwa akukhona kuphela emithaleni lapho uJames Webb eshiya uphawu lwakhe; Futhi ekufuneni ama-exoplanets kuguqula isayensi.
I-GJ 9827d: Umhlaba wesitimu
Okunye okusanda kutholwa kubonga uJames Webb yilokho kwe-exoplanet GJ 9827d, etholakala cishe iminyaka eyi-100 yokukhanya. Le planethi iqinisekisiwe njengeyokuqala "umhlaba we-steam” eyaziwa, uhlobo lwe-exoplanet enomoya ohlanganisa cishe wonke umhwamuko wamanzi oshisayo.
Ukubuka okwenziwa ngoNovemba 2023 kwavumela ososayensi ukuthi baqinisekise ukuthi umkhathi wale planethi awuqukethe nje iminonjana yamanzi, kodwa ugcwele umhwamuko. Kulinganiselwa ukuthi amazinga okushisa emkhathini wayo azungezile 340ºC, ephendula wonke amanzi abe isitimu.
I-GJ 9827d yatholwa ngo-2017, kodwa kuze kube manje ukwakheka kwayo akukwazanga ukunqunywa ngokuqiniseka. Sibonga inhlanganisela ye-Webb kanye nezibonakude hubble, kuye kwaqinisekiswa ukuthi le exoplanet ayiyona nje iplanethi enomswakama noma enamanzi emafwini ayo, kodwa izwe langempela lapho cishe wonke umkhathi wayo wenziwe umhwamuko wamanzi.
Imithelela ye-astrobiology
Nakuba izimo ze-GJ 9827d ziyenza ibe indawo engafanele yokuphila njengoba siyazi, lokhu kutholwa kubalulekile ocwaningweni lwe-exoplanet atmospheres. Ukwazi ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthola umkhathi ominyene ngezinto ezinjengamanzi kuvula iminyango emisha yocwaningo ukutholwa kwe-James Webb Telescope okuhlobene nokuhlala kweplanethi.
Ososayensi bakholelwa ukuthi lena ingeyokuqala kwamaplanethi amaningi anomkhathi ofanayo azotholakala esikhathini esizayo. Lolu hlobo lwamaplanethi lunganikeza ulwazi olubalulekile ukuze kuqondwe ukuziphendukela kwemvelo kweplanethi kanye nokuhlala okungase kube khona kwemihlaba engaphandle Kwesistimu yethu Yelanga.
URyan McDonald, omunye wezazi zezinkanyezi ezinomsebenzi wokucwaninga nge-exoplanet, uthe uJames Webb uvumela ososayensi ukuthi bahlole amaplanethi angaphezu kwalokhu okwake kwacatshangwa. “Sisenkathini yegolide yokuhlola umkhathi,” esho ejabule ngemva kokushicilelwa kwalokhu kutholwa.
Ngedatha ngayinye entsha enikezwa i-James Webb Telescope, sikuqonda kangcono ukuhlukahluka kwendawo yonke. Kusukela kumithala ebekela inselelo imiqondo yethu yangaphambilini ukuya kumaplanethi anezingoma ezingakaze zibonwe ngaphambili, iWebb ayiyeki ukusimangaza. Okutholwe yi-GS-NDG-9422 kanye ne-GJ 9827d kuyisiqalo nje salokho okuthembisa ukukhula okuqhubekayo kolwazi lwethu ngendawo yonke.
Lokhu okutholakele kusisondeza ekuqondeni izikhathi zokuqala ngemva kwe-Big Bang, izimo zokwakheka kwezinkanyezi kanye nokuvela kwezinhlelo zamaplanethi. Nakuba kunzima ukubikezela konke lokho iWebb ezosifundisa khona eminyakeni ezayo, okusobala ukuthi sibhekene nenkathi entsha yesayensi yezinkanyezi. Ukubonwa ngakunye kusondeza isintu ekuvuleni izimfihlo ezinkulu kakhulu ze-cosmos.