The University of Lisbon – Recent report published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society says that giant cosmic tsunamis can bring back the dead galaxies once again to life. Galaxies contain dead and red members and are often seen in clusters. The red and dead members are the dead stars from distant years.
According to the astronomers, Andra Stroe of Leiden Observatory and David Sobral of the University of Lisbon and Leiden the giant cosmic tsunamis can affect the conditions of these stars and bring the galaxies back to life.
The researchers came to this conclusion when they observed the merger of galaxy cluster CIZA J2242.8+5301 or the Sausage located around 2.3 billion light years away.
How are new stars formed from dead galaxies?
The researchers used the William Herschel Telescopes and the Isaac Newton Telescopes on La Palma, and the Keck Telescopes and the Subaru, CFHT on the Hawaii to observe this merger. The observation revealed that cluster of galaxies transformed by the shock wave of the tsunami and triggered off a movement of new formations of stars.
The merger that brings about these shock waves is possible because the clusters of galaxies are always in the process of expansion and have been doing so for billions of years. It is almost similar to how growing cities slowly swallow the smaller towns. When the collision of two clusters occurs, massive energy is liberated causing the birth of new stars.
Thus, the shock waves give new life to the dormant galaxies.
Although humankind knew the concept of cosmic tsunamis, this is for the first time that the researchers have been able to uncover its effect on the dead galaxies. Earlier the researchers had thought that the galaxies played a side role in all this activity.
However, now it shows that they lead the overall process. Once the galaxies awaken, the stars start forming at a rapid rate and their speed of formation is simply unbelievable.
