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Representation image: two galaxies seen in collision during the first stages of their interaction
(X-ray NASA / CXC / IfA / D. Sanders et al; Optical NASA / STScI / NRAO / A. Evans et al)
The Milky Way galaxy, in which our own solar system and several other stars and planets reside, is actively pulled, twisted and distorted with extreme violence by the gravitational force of a smaller galaxy, new research shows.
This smaller galaxy, called the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), is the second or third closest galaxy to the Milky Way. Visible as a faint cloud in the southern hemisphere’s night sky, it was also sighted by its namesake: Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. After observing the LMC on its journey in 1519, its later writings brought it to the attention of all in Western society.
Scientists now believe that this neighboring galaxy entered the boundary of the Milky Way around 700 million years ago – fairly recent by cosmological standards – and that its high dark matter content greatly disrupted tissue and movement. of our galaxy when it fell.
Previous research has indicated that the Milky Way and CML are surrounded by such huge halos of dark matter, which can be described as elusive particles that surround galaxies and neither absorb nor emit light but have dramatic gravitational effects. on the movement of stars and gases in the universe.
Using a sophisticated statistical model that calculated the velocity of stars furthest away in the Milky Way, researchers at the University of Edinburgh discovered how the LMC successfully distorted the motion of our galaxy. They discovered that the LMC’s dark matter halo had pulled and twisted the Milky Way’s disk toward the constellation Pegasus (a constellation in our northern sky) at a speed of 32 km per second.
Surprisingly, the research team also found that, although attracted to CML, the Milky Way was not heading to the current location of the CML (as previously thought), but to a point in its past trajectory. Indeed, the LMC, powered by its enormous gravitational force, moves away from the Milky Way at an ever faster speed of 370 km per second. Scientists describe the movement of the Milky Way as our galaxy trying to hit a fast moving target, but not aiming very well.
Speaking about these findings, Professor Jorge Peñarrubia, personal chair of gravitational dynamics at the School of Physics and Astronomy, said: “This discovery definitely breaks the spell that our galaxy is in some kind of equilibrium state. . In fact, the recent LMC infault is causing violent disruption in the Milky Way. Understanding this can give us an unprecedented view of the distribution of dark matter in the two galaxies. “
This discovery will help scientists develop new modeling techniques that capture the strong dynamic interaction between the two galaxies. In addition, astronomers also intend to study precisely when and where the LMC first fell in the Milky Way, as this would reveal the amount and distribution of dark matter in the two galaxies with no detail. previous.
The study and its results were recently published in the journal Nature astronomy and can be viewed here.
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