Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery about the Small Magellanic Cloud, a nearby dwarf galaxy, which is being torn apart by its larger neighbor, the Large Magellanic Cloud. By tracking thousands of massive stars, researchers found that the galaxy lacks rotational motion and shows signs of disruption.
The study suggests that the SMC is being stretched and disrupted by the gravitational pull of the LMC, revealing an unexpected pattern in how stars are moving within the galaxy. This discovery could reshape our understanding of how galaxies interact and evolve over time.
According to the researchers, the massive stars in the SMC were moving in opposite directions on either side of the galaxy, as though they are being pulled apart. Some stars are approaching the LMC while others are moving away from it, indicating that the gravitational influence of the larger galaxy is causing the disruption.
Furthermore, the study revealed an absence of rotational movement among the massive stars. Unlike in our Milky Way where interstellar gas rotates along with the stars, the SMC does not follow a rotational pattern, suggesting that the interstellar gas itself is also not rotating.
This discovery has broader implications for understanding the dynamics of interactions between neighboring galaxies, particularly in the early universe. The researchers consider the SMC to be an ideal model for studying the universe’s infancy because it shares many conditions with primordial galaxies.
The findings suggest that the history of the three-body interaction between the two Magellanic Clouds and the Milky Way may need to be revised, potentially changing our understanding of galaxy evolution. This research provides a rare window into stellar motion, allowing us to study the process of star formation in connection with the motion of stars throughout the galaxy.
Source: https://scitechdaily.com/torn-by-gravity-how-a-cosmic-tug-of-war-is-pulling-a-nearby-galaxy-apart