The Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) at IPB University, through the event ‘Webinar IPB Physics Talk Edition 51,’ featured Dr Abdurro’uf, an expert in Astronomy and Astrophysics and a Postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Physics, John Hopkins University, Maryland, USA. During the event, he presented the topic ‘The Hunt for the First Galaxies in the Universe Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).’

“We hope that Dr Abdurro’uf will continue to provide updates regarding important discoveries made by the JWST telescope, as well as engage in communication and collaboration related to frontiers of science research in the fields of astronomy, astrophysics, and cosmology,” stated Prof Tony, the Head of the Department of Physics at IPB University.

Teleskop JWST merupakan teleskop observasi angkasa terbaru bernilai 150 triliun yang dikembangkan National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), European Space Agency (ESA) dan Canadian Space Agency (CSA). Teknologi terbaru dari JWST memungkinkan menangkap citra dengan ketajaman gambar yang lebih detail dibandingkan teleskop Hubble sehingga mampu melihat lebih jauh sisa radiasi dari ledakan big bang untuk mempelajari evolusi alam semesta.

At the beginning of his presentation, Dr Abdurro’uf explained the history of the development of astronomy from ancient Greece to modern times, which requires facilities like giant telescopes and space telescopes such as the Hubble Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope. He presented various theories about the universe’s origins and the evolution of thought and new findings about the universe’s origin throughout different periods.

The JWST telescope is the latest space observation telescope worth 150 trillion, developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The advanced technology of JWST are capable of capturing images with greater detail than the Hubble Telescope, enabling us to see beyond the remnants of radiation from the Big Bang explosion and study the universe’s evolution.

“Melalui JWST dapat dipelajari mekanisme pembentukan bintang dan galaksi pada masa setelah bigbang (early universe), juga karakteristik planet ekstrasolar pada berbagai macam sistem bintang di luar matahari,” jelas Dr Abdurro’uf saat pemaparan dalam webinar yang dimoderatori Prof Husin Alatas, Guru Besar Departemen Fisika IPB University.

“Through the JWST, we can study the mechanisms of star and galaxy formation after the bigbang period (early universe), as well as the characteristics of extrasolar planets in various star systems beyond the sun,” explained Dr Abdurro’uf during the webinar moderated by Prof Husin Alatas, a Professor at the Department of Physics at IPB University.

Dr Abdurro’uf also discussed various recent findings from JWST, such as the search for the oldest galaxies in the cosmos through high redshift observations. He also addressed current issues related to the age of the universe. The standard cosmological model states that the universe’s age is 13,8 billion years. However, the discovery of galaxy clusters appearing 325 million years after the bigbang has raised speculations, as the standard cosmological model has assumed galaxy formation occurred billions of years after the big bang.

Moreover, he mentioned that Prof Gupta from Ottawa University Canada speculates that the age of the universe is nearly twice the current estimated age, around 26,7 billion years, due to the ‘tired light’ effect and the evolution of a new physical constant. Nevertheless, Dr Abdurro’uf emphasized that Prof. Gupta’s theoretical foundation is still weak and speculative, not supported by current astronomical observation data.

At the end of the event, Prof Tony Sumaryada, the Chairman of the Department of Physics at IPB University, also presented a token of appreciation to Dr Abdurro’uf as the speaker who dedicated his time to share knowledge and inform about the latest developments in the field of astronomy and astrophysics, directly from the JWST research and control center in Maryland, USA. (*/Rz) (IAAS/DSR)

This news is previously published on August 9th, 2023 in IPB Today