近日，西班牙格拉纳达大学的Jesús Domínguez-Gómez及其研究小组取得一项新进展。经过不懈努力，他们发现虚空中的星系缓慢地聚集它们的恒星。相关研究成果已于2023年6月28日在国际权威学术期刊《自然》上发表。

该研究小组展示了虚空星系的平均恒星形成历史比密集大尺度环境中的星系更缓慢。研究人员还发现在所有环境中存在两种主要的恒星形成历史类型：在“短时间尺度”星系中，其早期不受其大尺度环境影响，而仅在后期受到影响；而“长时间尺度”星系则一直受到其环境和恒星质量的影响。在虚空中，这两种类型的星系演化速度比纤维、壁面和星团中的星系演化速度更为缓慢。

据悉，宇宙中的星系以一种网状结构分布，其中包含不同的大尺度环境：密集星团、延伸纤维、薄片状壁面和低密度区域，被称为虚空。虚空中的低密度预计会影响其星系的性质。实际上，先前的研究表明，与更密集的大尺度环境中的星系相比，虚空中的星系通常呈现较蓝、较小质量、较晚形态，并具有较高的当前恒星形成率。然而，到目前为止，观测尚未明确证实虚空中星系的恒星形成历史与纤维、壁面和星团中的星系存在显著差异。

附：英文原文

Title: Galaxies in voids assemble their stars slowly

Author: Jesús Domínguez-Gómez, Prez, Isabel, Ruiz-Lara, Toms, Peletier, Reynier F., Snchez-Blzquez, Patricia, Lisenfeld, Ute, Falcn-Barroso, Jess, Alczar-Laynez, Manuel, Argudo-Fernndez, Mara, Blzquez-Calero, Guillermo, Courtois, Hlne, Duarte Puertas, Salvador, Espada, Daniel, Florido, Estrella, Garca-Benito, Rubn, Jimnez, Andoni, Kreckel, Kathryn, Relao, Mnica, Snchez-Menguiano, Laura, van der Hulst, Thijs, van de Weygaert, Rien, Verley, Simon, Zurita, Almudena

Issue&Volume: 2023-06-28

Abstract: Galaxies in the Universe are distributed in a web-like structure characterized by different large-scale environments: dense clusters, elongated filaments, sheetlike walls and under-dense regions, called voids. The low density in voids is expected to affect the properties of their galaxies. Indeed, previous studies have shown that galaxies in voids are, on average, bluer and less massive, and have later morphologies and higher current star formation rates than galaxies in denser large-scale environments. However, it has never been observationally proved that the star formation histories (SFHs) in voids are substantially different from those in filaments, walls and clusters. Here we show that void galaxies have had, on average, slower SFHs than galaxies in denser large-scale environments. We also find two main SFH types present in all the environments: ‘short-timescale’ galaxies are not affected by their large-scale environment at early times but only later in their lives; ‘long-timescale’ galaxies have been continuously affected by their environment and stellar mass. Both types have evolved more slowly in voids than in filaments, walls and clusters.

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06109-1

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06109-1