Do not think that outer space is a quiet and quiet place. A real drama is created in its depth, in which galaxies merge, creating large light flashes. Billions of years go into these processes, but astronomers find it difficult to detect them. But now scientists have developed a new technique for detecting galactic mergers when shooting the night sky.
Computer simulation of galaxies (left), the same galaxy in SDSS observation (center) and computer model of a merging galactic pair (right)
In a new study, a computer program was presented reviewing galaxy reviews to capture a wide range of signs that a merger might occur. Galactic forms and movement of internal stars are taken into account. This is important, because such mergers can play a significant role in the formation of large spiral galaxies, such as the Milky Way, and the activation of the birth of stars. The main goal is to create a large sample of merging galaxies. The work is based on observations of the Sloan Digital Celestial Survey (SDSS), where, since 1998, they managed to get about 500 million space images showing galaxies far from Earth. For a long time, scientists did not have the necessary tools that could confidently report that the fusion was sealed on a specific image.
Therefore, researchers have developed a series of simulations that seek to cover a wide range of different ways that galaxies may encounter. Simulations allow you to view billions of years of evolution directly. Scientists have used these models to train a computer program to teach it to recognize the control signs of galactic mergers. The idea worked! The new technology is able to correctly identify merge events in 80% of cases.
