Astronomers have found a galaxy turning gas into stars with
almost 100 percent efficiency, a rare phase of galaxy evolution that is the
most extreme yet observed. The findings come from the IRAM Plateau de Bure
interferometer in the French Alps, NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer
and NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.
"Galaxies burn gas like a car engine burns fuel. Most
galaxies have fairly inefficient engines, meaning they form stars from their
stellar fuel tanks far below the maximum theoretical rate," said Jim Geach
of McGill University, lead author of a new study appearing in the Astrophysical
Journal Letters.
"This galaxy is like a highly tuned sports car,
converting gas to stars at the most efficient rate thought to be
possible," he said.