One study has suggested that the galaxy next to us may be disintegrated.
It looks like a small Magenlanic cloud or SMC – the relatively small galaxy that is our neighbors – is torn with the gravity of a neighboring galaxy.
“When we got this result for the first time, we were suspected that there might be an error in our analysis,” said Keng Tachihara, from Nagoya University in Japan. “However, with more careful examination, the results are undeniable, and we were surprised.”
SMC is one of our closest neighbors, which allows researchers to hold nearly 7,000 huge stars that make up the galaxy. These stars are more than eight times the mass of our sun, and usually continue only a few million years before the explosion.
Looking at those stars, the researchers found that they appeared to be separated by the Great Magenlanic or LMC, which has its own neighboring galaxy.
“The SMC stars on both sides of the galaxy were moving in the opposite directions, as if they were separated,” Tachihara said. “Some of these stars are approaching the LMC, while others move away and indicate that the galaxy’s gravitational effect is larger,” he said.
“This unexpected movement supports the hypothesis that SMC is disrupted by LMC and leads to its gradual destruction.”
The researchers also found that the SMC does not appear to be rotating. Usually, the great young stars move along with the gases born – but it does not appear to be moving in the SMC stars, indicating that the gas itself rotates as expected.
This can lead to a new understanding not only SMC but also how it interacts with galaxies, including ourselves.
In addition, research can help us understand the conditions and story of the early world. SMC is useful for understanding the cosmos at a young age today, as it shares some of the characteristics with early galaxies.
“We are not able to capture the” bird’s eye “from the galaxy we live,” Tachihara said. This is important because it allows us to study the process of star formation in relation to stars movement across the galaxy. ”
This work is described in the new article, “Evidence of Galactic Interaction in the Small Magellanic Cloud, published by the massive Gaia star candidates.” Astrophysical Magazine seriesHuman
