A research team led by Pierluigi Rinaldi from the University of Groningen in
Instruments have looked so far into the past thatresearchers were able to study galaxies that formed between 11 and 13 billion years ago. Recall that the Big Bang happened 13.7 billion years ago. It turned out that from 60 to 90% of the stars in the early Universe were formed in galaxies with a burst of star formation.
In such galaxies, star formation occurs withvery high speed compared to the similar process in most galaxies. For example, the rate of star formation in the Milky Way is about 3 solar masses per year, while in starburst galaxies it can reach 100 solar masses per year. If this rate were maintained, then the gas in the galaxies would end much faster than during their lifetime.
The analysis showed that in the first few billionyears after the Big Bang, 20 to 40% of all star-forming galaxies were characterized by bursts of star formation. During this growth spurt, 60 to 90% of new stars in galaxies appear. By comparison, the universe is much calmer today. Only about 10% of new stars are born in starburst galaxies.
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