How do violent gravitational interactions during a galaxy merger affect the cold gas supply necessary for star formation?
Answer
They rapidly heat the gas or physically eject it from the galaxy
Mergers cause shockwaves that heat the gas above collapse temperatures, or they strip the gas entirely into the intergalactic medium, thus destroying the star formation pipeline.
#Videos
New Clues About Formation of Giant Galaxies but Something Doesn ...
Related Questions
What visual characteristic is strongly associated with ongoing, active star birth in spiral galaxies like the Milky Way?What is the fundamental requirement missing from elliptical galaxies that prevents contemporary star formation?Why does the gas present in massive elliptical galaxies often fail to initiate star formation?What celestial objects are massive elliptical galaxies predominantly composed of, according to spectral analysis?What astronomical term is colloquially used to describe elliptical galaxies due to their lack of ongoing stellar activity?What is the prevailing theory proposed for the formation mechanism of massive elliptical galaxies?How do violent gravitational interactions during a galaxy merger affect the cold gas supply necessary for star formation?What process occurring in dense galaxy clusters acts as a persistent suppressor, preventing the replenishment of gas in elliptical galaxies?What brief, initial phase might occur immediately following a major merger before the elliptical settles into a 'dead' state?If a massive elliptical galaxy ($>10^{12} M_ $odot$) were actively forming stars, how would its current Star Formation Rate (SFR) compare to a moderate spiral galaxy ($1-3 M_ $odot/year)?