Astronomers have made a breakthrough in understanding the formation of the universe’s largest galaxies, suggesting that ancient “cosmic collisions” may be the key.
According to research by scientists at the University of Southampton, two galaxies colliding billions of years ago could have triggered the creation of massive elliptical galaxies. These galaxies, which resemble bulging footballs, are vastly different from the flat disc shape of the Milky Way, reported The Guardian.
The study, published in Nature, sheds light on how these elliptical galaxies, long a mystery to astronomers, came into being. Dr. Annagrazia Puglisi, who led the study, explained that when two disc galaxies collided, the collision forced gas—the fuel for star formation—into the center of the merging galaxies, creating trillions of new stars. These cosmic events occurred between 8 and 12 billion years ago when the universe was more active in its early stages.
This research provides new insights into the formation of galaxies.
These cosmic collisions are believed to have sparked intense star-forming activity much faster than what occurs in galaxies like our own. In collaboration with the Purple Mountain Observatory in China, the research team used the Alma radio telescope in Chile’s Atacama Desert to analyze distant star-forming galaxies, providing unprecedented evidence of the role cosmic collisions played in galaxy formation.
Dr. Qing-Hua Tan, another lead scientist, stated that this study represents the first real evidence that intense episodes of star formation in the cores of distant galaxies led to the formation of spheroidal shapes. These galaxies formed at a rapid pace, with gas being pulled inward, feeding black holes and triggering star bursts that occurred at rates 10 to 100 times faster than those in the Milky Way.
The researchers plan to expand their study by using data from the James Webb Space Telescope, Euclid satellites, and the Chinese Space Station to gain further insights into the stellar components of these distant galaxies. This continued exploration will offer a more comprehensive understanding of early galaxy formation and help redefine our knowledge of the universe’s evolution.
As they come closer to solving this long-standing astronomical mystery, the team’s findings will likely alter how we view the birth and growth of galaxies in the early universe. With this new understanding, scientists are piecing together the complex puzzle of how the vast, structured universe we know today came into being.