Discovered a stellar "teleport" from the center of the galaxy to the periphery

Discovered a stellar "teleport" from the center of the galaxy to the periphery
Discovered a stellar "teleport" from the center of the galaxy to the periphery
Anonim

Computer simulations of supernova explosions in the center of the galaxy have shown that new stars are formed from their remnants outside the galactic disk. Numerical calculations of the "movement" of stars from the center to the periphery of the galaxy gave the same results as earlier astronomical observations.

Dense and massive stars have always been considered relatively stationary space objects. Until now, scientists did not even think that galaxies can somehow "move" the stars at distances comparable to the size of a galaxy. But recently, researchers at the University of California, with the help of colleagues from other research centers, discovered a way by which galaxies the size of the Milky Way "spit out" their central stars to the periphery. The work will appear in the May issue of the Royal Astronomical Society's monthly bulletin.

The computer power of our time allowed the launch of the FIRE-2 (Feedback in Realistic Environments 2) project, which simulates an interesting process in the life of the galaxy. High-precision numerical calculations were carried out for the Milky Way and six more galaxies with similar masses. Astronomers have found that when several massive stars die in dense central clusters, the energy from a supernova explosion is enough to force the interstellar gas - supernova remnants - out of the galaxy. New stars are forming from gas cooled outside the galactic disk. This is how the outflow of stellar matter into the halo of galaxies is carried out.

Image
Image

Young stars born from streams of interstellar gas from supernova explosions in the center of the galaxy are shown in blue in the simulated image.

The data obtained by the European Space Agency's Gaia mission coincide with the results of the FIRE-2 simulation and indicate that relatively young stars with a low metal content live at the edges of galaxies, moving around the center of the galaxy in the direction opposite to its rotation. The new study has revolutionized scientists' understanding of the formation and life of galaxies.

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