What happens to the gas content of galaxies during the intense environment of a galaxy merger?
Answer
Intense gravitational forces and starburst events consume or heat the gas, preventing new star formation
When two galaxies collide, the resulting environment is chaotic and extreme. The gravitational interaction often triggers a burst of star formation known as a starburst phase, which rapidly consumes the available gas. Additionally, the chaotic forces can strip gas away from the system or heat it to temperatures so high that the gas particles are unable to clump together, effectively ending the galaxy's ability to produce new stars in the aftermath.
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