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JWST Observations Reveal Frequent Extreme Outflows in Early Quasars

New data from the James Webb Space Telescope shows powerful galaxy-scale winds in early quasars may be responsible for shutting down star formation in the early universe.

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This artist’s illustration portrays two galaxies that existed in the first billion years of the universe. The larger galaxy at left hosts a brilliant quasar at its center, whose glow is powered by hot
This artist’s illustration portrays two galaxies that existed in the first billion years of the universe. The larger galaxy at left hosts a brilliant quasar at its center, whose glow is powered by hot·Photo: IMAGE: NASA, ESA, Joseph Olmsted (STScI) via Wikimedia Commonscc0

Discovery of High-Velocity Outflows

Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have revealed that extreme galaxy-scale outflows were common among the first luminous quasars in the early universe. Researchers reported a high detection rate of these exceptionally fast and powerful winds, identifying them in 6 out of 27 studied luminous quasars.

These outflows were traced using [O III] emission in quasars located at redshifts of z ≈ 5-6. The data indicates that these winds reach velocities of up to approximately 8,400 kilometers per second. Additionally, the kinetic energy outflow rates were found to be significant, reaching up to approximately 260% of the observed quasar luminosity.

Impact on Galaxy Evolution

These "quasar winds" are propelling hundreds of solar masses of material outward into the galaxy disk every year. Because these outflows affect the entire galaxy, they play a critical role in the lifecycle of early galactic structures.

According to researchers, the presence of abundant post-starburst or quiescent galaxies just 1 to 2 billion years after the Big Bang challenges existing paradigms of galaxy evolution. Cosmological simulations suggest that "quasar feedback"—the process by which these powerful winds expel gas—is the most promising mechanism responsible for the rapid quenching of star formation in these early galaxies.

Context of Early Supermassive Black Holes

Quasars are powered by supermassive black holes located at the centers of massive galaxies. A persistent puzzle in astronomy is the existence of supermassive black holes with masses exceeding one billion times that of the sun just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang.

The discovery of frequent, extreme outflows provides empirical evidence for how these black holes interact with their host galaxies. By ejecting the gas necessary for creating new stars, these quasars effectively shut down star formation, transitioning galaxies from active star-forming states to quiescent states.

Sources (8)Open
  1. 1.Nature — Extreme galaxy-scale outflows are frequent among luminous early quasars
  2. 2.Phys — How quasars shut down star formation in the early universe - Phys.org
  3. 3.Ac — How quasars shut down star formation in the early Universe
  4. 4.Arxiv — Frequent Extreme Galaxy-scale Outflows among Luminous Early Quasars
  5. 5.Arxiv — Extreme Galaxy-scale Outflows Are Frequent among Luminous Early Quasars
  6. 6.Uni-hamburg — How quasars shut down star formation in the early universe
  7. 7.Harvard — Frequent Extreme Galaxy-scale Outflows among Luminous Early ...
  8. 8.Msn — Astronomers capture rare quasar pair colliding just 1 billion years after big bang

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How NewsNews AI made this storyOpen

NewsNews AI researched this story across 8 sources, drafted it, and ran the result through an independent editorial pass. It cleared editorial review on first pass.

  • 8 sources cited · linked in full at the bottom of the article
  • Image license verified · cc0
  • Independent editorial pass · approved

From the editor

All major factual claims are well-supported by the cited snippets: the 6/27 detection rate and quasar feedback mechanism are confirmed by sources [4] and [7]; the ~8,400 km/s velocity and ~260% kinetic energy outflow rate are confirmed by source [5]; the hundreds of solar masses propelled annually is confirmed by source [6]; the supermassive black hole mass and timing context is confirmed by source [2]; and the JWST/early-universe framing is confirmed by source [3]. No fabricated quotes, no single-source dependency, and the headline accurately reflects the content.

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