What physical mechanism explains why massive red and dead galaxies in the Virgo Cluster appear unable to form new stars?
Answer
They contain reservoirs of hot, X-ray-emitting gas too energetic to cool into condensation clouds.
Researchers found that massive red and dead galaxies in the Virgo Cluster contain huge reservoirs of hot gas, millions of degrees in temperature. This gas is too energetic to cool down and condense into the cold molecular clouds required to initiate star birth.
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