Astronomers have refuted the theory of the death of galaxies in collisions
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- Astronomers have refuted the theory of the death of galaxies in collisions
Scientists from Florida International University have challenged the well-established theory that galaxy collisions are the main reason for the cessation of the formation of new stars in them. This was reported by the magazine on July 21. Phys.org .
Astrophysicists have tested the long—standing "merger— quasar-extinction" paradigm. According to this hypothesis, when galaxies collide, huge masses of gas are sent to their centers, fueling supermassive black holes. Those, in turn, release tremendous energy, which heats or displaces the gas necessary for the appearance of the luminaries.
The research team analyzed more than 11,000 simulated galaxies using IllustrisTNG, one of the most advanced cosmological simulations in the world. Scientists have tracked billions of years of cosmic history, observing the growth, collisions and fading activity of objects.
It turned out that only 3% of large galaxy mergers led to the cessation of star formation within 1 billion years after the event. Even when all types of collisions were taken into account, this figure was about 12%. The researchers emphasized that most of the "dead" galaxies had no signs of recent mergers at all.
Asa Black, a co-author of the paper, noted that traditionally astronomers have been looking for super-bright quasars and dramatic black hole emissions. However, according to him, the overall energy that a black hole releases over billions of years is more important, even if it doesn't look spectacular.
The authors concluded that galaxy mergers are neither a necessary nor sufficient condition for stopping the star formation process. In their opinion, slow internal processes, rather than large-scale space accidents, play a key role. In the future, astronomers will have to reconsider the mechanisms of the Universe's evolution, shifting the focus from catastrophic events to gradual long-term changes within galactic systems.
Phys.org On July 12, he reported the identification of different populations of merging black holes. According to the researchers, one possible scenario suggests that two massive stars form and evolve together, and after their death, binary black hole systems form. Another option is associated with dense star clusters, where already formed black holes can converge and form pairs as a result of random gravitational interactions.
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