Study finds Milky Way a possible cause of rare spiral galaxy. This is a diagram of the Milky Way. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Text/Reporter Chen Juncun
There are many types and sizes of galaxies in the universe. The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy with a spiral arm structure, which is rare in the vicinity of the Milky Way. Astronomers have recently found a possible answer to this mystery that has remained unsolved for many years.
Durham University in the United Kingdom pointed out that the Milky Way is embedded in the Supergalactic Plane, which is a huge flat structure spanning a distance of about 1 billion light-years and containing several galaxy clusters and thousands of galaxies.
Although the plane is filled with bright elliptical galaxies, spiral galaxies with spiral arms are notably rare. Astronomers have known about the uneven distribution of galaxies since the 1960s, and have wanted to understand why.
In order to explore the possible reasons, an international research team composed of Durham University and the University of Helsinki in Finland used supercomputers to simulate the evolution of the universe over the past 13.8 billion years, from its birth to the present. The simulation results are consistent with the telescope observation results. consistent.
The simulation results revealed details of galaxy formation, such as spiral galaxies becoming elliptical galaxies through collisions between galaxies. It also showcases the Standard Model of the Universe, which reproduces the most striking structures in the universe, including the supergalactic plane in which the Milky Way is located.
NGC 3610 elliptical galaxy. (NASA)
Researchers said that uneven distribution of elliptical and spiral galaxies occurs naturally due to the different environments inside and outside the supergalactic plane.
In dense galaxy clusters within the supergalactic plane, galaxies experience frequent interactions and mergers with each other. This turns spiral galaxies into elliptical galaxies, which are smooth, elliptical galaxies without obvious internal structures and spiral arms.
In contrast, galaxies far away from this plane do not experience frequent interactions and mergers, and spiral galaxies can evolve independently, helping them maintain their original spiral structure.
Carlos Frenk, a professor at Durham University and one of the authors of the research report, said that the distribution of galaxies in the plane of super galaxies is indeed eye-catching. This is rare, but not entirely abnormal.
The research results have been published in the journal Nature Astronomy. ◇
