ALMA – Page 3 – National Radio Astronomy Observatory

Scientists Observe Gas Re-accretion in Dying Galaxies for the First Time

A new study from scientists using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) suggests that previously displaced gases can re-accrete onto galaxies, potentially slowing down the process of galaxy death caused by ram pressure stripping, and creating unique structures more resistant to its effects.

Twenty galaxies in the nearby universe shown as ALMA and Hubble Space Telescope composites. They are shown in orange and red to highlight their different structures, including spirals, rings, S shapes, and more.

Cosmic Cartographers Map Nearby Universe Revealing the Diversity of Star-Forming Galaxies

A team of astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has completed the first census of molecular clouds in the nearby Universe. The study produced the first images of nearby galaxies with the same sharpness and quality as optical imaging and revealed that stellar nurseries do not all look and act the same. In fact, they’re as diverse as the people, homes, neighborhoods, and regions that make up our own world.

ALMA Shows Massive Young Stars Forming in “Chaotic Mess”

Astronomers used ALMA to study three young, high-mass stars and found, not the orderly, stable process of accreting new material seen in low-mass stars, but instead a “chaotic mess.” They conclude that their observations support a proposed “disordered infall” model for massive young stars that was supported by earlier computer simulations.

Image showing an active M dwarf star, Proxima Centuari, in red with many star spots, ejecting a large stellar flare in yellow and white. Proxima Centauri b, a small Earth-like planet is seen in the distant right of the image.

Record-breaking Stellar Flare From Nearby Star Recorded in Multiple Wavelengths for the First Time

Scientists using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observed a record-breaking stellar flare from Proxima Centauri. The study also marks the first time that a powerful stellar flare, other than those from the Sun, has been observed with such complete wavelength coverage.

ALMA Takes First Step Toward Return to Service

The process of returning ALMA to operational status has begun by powering up the first few antennas for the first time since the COVID-19 shutdown in March of 2021.

The Strange Orbits of ‘Tatooine’ Planetary Disks

Astronomers using ALMA have found striking orbital geometries in protoplanetary disks around binary stars.

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