NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory has captured a rare cosmic event where two galaxy clusters have collided and are now poised for another collision. The discovery provides evidence of shock fronts, similar to those created by jets breaking the sound barrier, likely caused by disruption of gas from the initial collision about a billion years ago.
The galaxy cluster PSZ2 G181, located 2.8 billion light-years from Earth, was previously observed using radio telescopes, which spotted parentheses-shaped structures on its outside. A new composite image combining X-rays from Chandra and ESA’s XMM-Newton with LOFAR data and an optical image has revealed the structures are shock fronts.
Data from NASA’s Chandra and ESA’s XMM-Newton observatories suggests that PSZ2 G181 is poised for another collision. The researchers found three shock fronts aligned with the axis of the collision, indicating early signs of a second crash. This makes PSZ2 G181 an unusual case of a lower-mass system involved in the rare event of colliding galaxy clusters.
The total mass of the system is less than other similar systems where galaxy clusters have collided, making this discovery noteworthy. The study’s findings appear in a recent issue of The Astrophysical Journal and are part of a series of three papers led by Andra Stroe from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian.
The collision between two galaxy clusters is a rare cosmic event that provides valuable insights into the universe’s large-scale structure. NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory continues to explore this phenomenon, shedding light on the mysteries of the cosmos.
Source: https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/galaxy-clusters-on-course-to-crash-again-nasas-chandra-finds