The distribution of galaxy rotation in JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey

TL;DR

This paper reports a surprising 50% higher occurrence of galaxies rotating opposite to the Milky Way in the JWST JADES deep field, suggesting potential insights into early Universe structure and galaxy physics.

Contribution

It presents the first detailed analysis of galaxy rotation directions in the JADES survey, revealing an unexpected asymmetry with possible cosmological implications.

Findings

Opposite rotation galaxies are ~50% more numerous than same-direction ones.

Results are consistent with previous HST and JWST deep field observations.

Findings may relate to early Universe structure or galaxy physics anomalies.

Abstract

JWST provides a view of the Universe never seen before, and specifically fine details of galaxies in deep space. JWST Advanced Deep Extragalactic Survey (JADES) is a deep field survey, providing unprecedentedly detailed view of galaxies in the early Universe. The field is also in relatively close proximity to the Galactic pole. Analysis of spiral galaxies by their direction of rotation in JADES shows that the number of galaxies in that field that rotate in the opposite direction relative to the Milky Way galaxy is ~50% higher than the number of galaxies that rotate in the same direction relative to the Milky Way. The analysis is done using a computer-aided quantitative method, but the difference is so extreme that it can be noticed and inspected even by the unaided human eye. These observations are in excellent agreement with deep fields taken at around the same footprint by HST and JWST. The reason for the difference may be related to the structure of the early Universe, but it can also be related to the physics of galaxy rotation and the internal structure of galaxies. In that case the observation can provide possible explanations to other puzzling anomalies such as the Ho tension and the observation of massive mature galaxies at very high redshifts.