Milky Way-like simulation reveals how central galactic structures grow together
Researchers from the SMUGGLE-Ring project have used high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations to explain how nuclear star clusters and stellar disks form in galaxies. The study suggests that a galaxy's central stellar bar acts as a conveyor belt, channeling gas to feed these structures.
Why it matters
This discovery resolves a long-standing astrophysical mystery regarding the formation of central galactic structures, improving our understanding of galaxy evolution.
by Janine Fohlmeister, Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam
edited by Lisa Lock , reviewed by Robert Egan
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
Add as preferred source Simulation from the SMUGGLE-Ring project. Credit: AIP/S. Kwak Understanding the formation and evolution of the centers of galaxies is one of the most intriguing challenges in astrophysics. The new study aims to unveil the physical processes that led to the formation of two striking features surrounding the black holes at the centers of most galaxies: nuclear star clusters and nuclear stellar disks. Only in the last decade have such galactic structures been observed in the Milky Way and extragalactic systems.
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