Modeling galaxy mergers
(Phys.org) —Astronomers think that many galaxies, including our own Milky Way, have undergone similar collisions during their lifetimes. Although galaxy collisions are important and common, what happens during these encounters is not very well understood. For example, it seems likely that massive black hole(s) will form during the interactions, as the two galaxies' nuclei approach each other. Galaxy-galaxy interactions also stimulate vigorous star formation as gravitational effects during the encounters induce interstellar gas to condense into stars. The starbursts in turn light up the galaxies, especially at infrared wavelengths, making some systems hundreds or even thousands of times brighter than the Milky Way while the starbursts are underway. Studying these luminous galaxies not only sheds light on how galaxies evolve and form stars, since they act as lanterns over cosmological distances it also helps scientists study the early universe.