Manganese's emission lines shine a light on galactic evolution

A team of astronomers has identified wavelengths of light that could be useful for tracing the chemical evolution of the universe. The study used computational modeling to simulate how electrons interact with manganese ions, which are produced during stellar explosions called supernovae. The researchers found that certain emission lines were extremely sensitive to changes in the temperature and density of the surrounding nebula, making them useful tools for analyzing rapidly expanding objects like supernova remnants and other large gas clouds. The findings suggest that manganese can be used as a cosmic clock to learn more about how galaxies evolve.

The study found that manganese is a key element because its abundance increases over time, allowing researchers to use it as a cosmological clock. The research team modeled hundreds of faint signals using atomic physics calculations, which would otherwise have taken years to complete. The findings suggest that once paired with real-world astronomical observations, these conclusions could be used to predict the conditions of other types of complex space environments. The results from this work will be made publicly available for researchers to compare their data sets with novel atomic analyses.

The study is published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. The research team includes Anil Pradhan, a professor of astronomy at The Ohio State University, and others. The findings could help scientists predict the universe's chemical future. The team plans to verify their data using the James Webb Space Telescope and other ground-based observatories. The results from this work will also be made publicly available so researchers can compare their data sets with novel atomic analyses, laying the foundation for similar chemical discoveries.

AI-generated summary of the original article — see the source for the full story.