Chinese Scientists Discover New Clues to Declining Star Formation Rate in Universe
Summary
Chinese scientists have found new clues about why the universe’s star formation rate is declining, using data from the FAST radio telescope and the DESI survey. The study suggests that star formation is dropping faster than the supply of neutral hydrogen, pointing to reduced efficiency in how galaxies turn gas into new stars.
Key Points
- FAST and DESI data from about 2.5 million galaxies were used to study the decline in star formation across the universe.
- The star formation rate about 4.5 billion years ago was about 2.5 times higher than it is now, while neutral hydrogen was only about 1.4 times higher.
- The findings suggest that reduced gas supply alone does not explain the slowdown in star formation.
- Scientists say further research is needed to understand what physical processes are making galaxies less efficient at forming stars.
