There are about 2.8 billion light-years on Earth, and two clusters of galaxies are involved in cosmic quarrels. These huge structures clashed last billion years ago, but now it seems they are going back to the second round.
The galaxy clusters associated with this melee are part of a larger system (a “combined” galaxy cluster) called PSZ2 G181. In a published study Astrophysics Magazine In April, researchers analyzed new observations for PSZ2 G181, which suggests that their constituent clusters are expected to crush each other for a second time.
Depending on the major collisions between the clusters of this galaxy, it is often considered rare. European Space Agency (ESA), but repeated collisions are absolutely unusual. More importantly, the total mass content of PSZ2 G181 is low compared to other combined galaxy clusters caused by collisions, which adds another layer of particularity to the survey results.
According to NASA statement.
This work reveals areas of diffuse radio emissions in the suburbs of the system. These structures are most likely due to the initial collisions that were formed a billion years ago.
The new study, led by Andra Stroe, a postdoctoral researcher at the Harvard and Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, further validates the idea of a previous collision. The researchers analyzed new observations from PSZ2 G181 from two X-ray observations – Chandra of NASA and XMM-Newton of the European Space Agency. According to their report, their study identified air conditioning bridges connecting two clusters, which may be due to gas stripping during the first collision.
The two clusters have scattered over the past billion years and are now about 11 million light-years away from each other. According to NASA’s statement, this is the largest separation between these structures that astronomers have seen.
But Stroro and her colleagues found evidence that these galaxy clusters are now in the process of collision again. The convoy found three other impact lines in line with the previous collision axis, which was a potential sign of a second upcoming crash.
The discovery of this rare event provides new insights into the dynamics of merged galaxy clusters, especially those involving low-quality systems that are not gradually spread. As the researchers point out, finding radio emissions from low-quality clusters like the PSZ2 G181 is challenging, but “with the advent of a new generation of radio telescopes and surveys, we may be revealing what they call the “tip of the iceberg” they call it in the report.
