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    "story_id": "mp-2026-09-25-014",
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    "headline": "Stripped Binary Stars May Explain a Dwarf Galaxy’s Hard Light",
    "slug": "stripped-binary-stars-may-explain-a-dwarf-galaxy-s-hard-light",
    "dek": "JWST and ALMA observations point to star formation—not an active galactic nucleus—in Pox 186.",
    "summary": "JWST and ALMA observations point to star formation—not an active galactic nucleus—in Pox 186.",
    "body_text": "JWST mid-infrared spectroscopy and archival ALMA carbon-monoxide data were used to study the compact dwarf galaxy Pox 186, a local analog of reionization-era systems. Photoionization models favor stripped binary stars as the source of its extreme mid-infrared line ratios, while a young starburst is needed for the dust continuum. The inferred star-formation efficiency exceeds 15 billionths per year and the cold-gas depletion time is short, cautioning against classifying distant galaxies from ultraviolet diagnostics alone.",
    "why_it_matters": "JWST and ALMA observations point to star formation—not an active galactic nucleus—in Pox 186.",
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    "first_published_at": "2026-09-25T09:00:00.000-04:00",
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    "tags": [
      "JWST",
      "ALMA",
      "dwarf galaxy"
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  "sources": [
    {
      "source_id": "source-2026-09-25-014",
      "title": "arXiv preprint 2609.30003",
      "publisher": "arXiv",
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      "published_at": "2026-09-24T11:46:23.000-04:00",
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    "title": "Stripped Binary Stars May Explain a Dwarf Galaxy’s Hard Light",
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    "published_at": "2026-09-25T09:00:00.000-04:00",
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