What specific event during a galaxy merger violently triggers intense bursts of star formation?
Answer
Violent collision of gas clouds
Galaxy mergers are dynamic processes involving gravitational distortion and physical interaction. While the stars within the galaxies rarely make direct contact due to the vast space between them, the clouds of gas and dust contained within the merging galaxies are massive enough to collide violently with each other. This high-energy impact compresses the gas dramatically, which in turn triggers rapid, intense episodes of star formation, temporarily transforming the merging system into what is known as a bright 'starburst' galaxy.
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