Astronomers have observed an intense battle between two galaxies that has been raging for billions of years. The team used Chile’s ALMA and Europe’s Very Large Telescope to witness the “cosmic joust,” a quasar-powered interaction that severely hampers one galaxy’s ability to form new stars.
Using data from these instruments, researchers found that one galaxy is using its quasar to pierce the other, disrupting its development. The light from this event took 11 billion years to reach us, offering a front-row seat to some of the most intense intergalactic violence in the universe.
The galaxies are hurtling towards each other at over 311 miles per second and appear inert in images taken just as they were when the universe was 18% of its current age. However, this interaction has led researchers to discover that quasar radiation can actively transform the gas structure in a companion galaxy.
The team observed that the radiation from one galaxy’s quasar disrupts regions in the other galaxy, making it difficult for new stars to form. This quasar-wielding galaxy effectively sabotages its opponent’s ability to birth new light. However, this interaction also transforms the quasar itself as gas funnels towards the central black hole.
Future instruments like the Extremely Large Telescope will help scientists dissect even more of these ancient galactic brawls, providing a clearer picture of how quasars shape and destroy galaxies.
Source: https://gizmodo.com/astronomers-witness-galaxy-shanking-its-rival-with-a-beam-of-radiation-2000605367