As galaxies evolve they eventually stop forming stars. There are a host of (sometimes violent) processes that can end star formation in galaxies. The authors examine how galaxy mass plays a role in stopping star formation for nearby galaxies.
The evolution of galaxies from one type to another is not well understood. A galaxy’s environment plays a key role in its evolution. This is especially important for galaxies in galaxy clusters, which can strip them of their gas. The authors in today’s Astrobite explore six new, dramatic examples of galaxies being stripped of their gas.
The diffuse gas contained within galaxy clusters can dramatically affect the galaxies moving within it. This includes bending the jets coming out of active galactic nuclei in galaxy clusters. The authors in today’s Astrobite report on extremely bent jets recently discovered in galaxy NGC 1272.
Most simulations to date have implied that satellite galaxies traveling through galaxy clusters are stripped of gas for future star formation in a process known as “strangulation”. In contrast, the authors of this paper suggest that satellite galaxies may not be as cut off as some might think: instead, their simulations show that the cooler, stripped gas from the corona will mix with the surrounding intra-cluster medium and remain near the original galaxy as a potential new source of star-forming fuel.
Where can you find ‘ghost’, ‘dark’, ‘stripped’, and ‘bullet’ clusters? The Pandora Cluster, which has become an excellent laboratory for studying the nature of other shady characters in our universe like dark matter.