Latest news with #galaxyclusters
Fox News
4 days ago
- Science
- Fox News
Scientists discover ancient radio signals from distant galaxy cluster
Astronomers studying a distant galaxy cluster stumbled upon ancient radio signals that might hold clues to the formation of the early universe. While studying the distant galaxy cluster known as SpARCS1049, astronomers detected faint mysterious radio waves, according to a study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters and available on the pre-print server Xrxiv. The discovered radio waves, which took 10 billion years to reach Earth, originated from a vast region of space filled with high-energy particles and magnetic fields. These vast clouds of high-energy particles are known as a mini-halo. A mini-halo has never been detected this deep into space before, according to the study. Mini-halos are described in the study as faint groups of charged particles. These groups are known to emit both radio and X-ray waves. Mini-halos are typically found in clusters between galaxies. Roland Timmerman of the Institute for Computational Cosmology of Durham University and co-author of the study said in a statement in how these particles are important for the creation of our universe. "It's astonishing to find such a strong radio signal at this distance," Timmerman said. "It means these energetic particles and the processes creating them have been shaping galaxy clusters for nearly the entire history of the universe." The astronomers analyzed data from the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) radio telescope. The LOFAR is made up of 100,000 small antennas across eight European countries, according to the study. The team of astronomers believes there are two causes for the makeup of these mini-halos. According to the study, the first explanation is supermassive black holes found at the heart of galaxies. These black holes can release high-energy particles into space. The astronomers are perplexed as to how these particles would escape such a powerful black hole to create these clusters. The second explanation, according to the study, is cosmic particle collisions. These cosmic particle collisions occur when charged particles filled with hot plasma collide at near-light speeds. These collisions smash apart, allowing the high-energy particles to be observed from Earth. According to the study, astronomers now believe that this discovery suggests that either black holes or particle collisions have been energizing galaxies earlier than previously believed. New telescopes being developed like the Square Kilometer Array will eventually let astronomers detect even more faint signals. Julie Hlavacek-Larrondo from the University of Montreal and co-lead author of the study said in a statement she believes this is just the beginning to the wonders of space. "We are just scratching the surface of how energetic the early universe really was," Hlavacek-Larrondo said in the statement. "This discovery gives us a new window into how galaxy clusters grow and evolve, driven by both black holes and high-energy particle physics."
Gizmodo
08-06-2025
- Science
- Gizmodo
These Two Galaxy Clusters Are About to Smash Into Each Other—Again
Roughly 2.8 billion light-years from Earth, two galaxy clusters are engaged in a cosmic tussle. These enormous structures last collided about a billion years ago, but now, it appears they're going back for round two. The galaxy clusters involved in this scuffle are part of a larger system—a 'combined' galaxy cluster—called PSZ2 G181. In a study published in The Astrophysical Journal in April, researchers analyzed new observations of PSZ2 G181 that suggest its constituent clusters are poised to smash into each other for a second time. Major collisions between galaxy clusters are generally considered rare, according to the European Space Agency (ESA), but repeated collisions are decidedly more unusual. What's more, PSZ2 G181's total mass is uncharacteristically low compared to other combined galaxy clusters that have resulted from collisions, adding another layer of peculiarity to the findings. Astronomers know the individual galaxy clusters that make up PSZ2 G181 crashed into each other once before thanks to previous radio observations, according to a NASA statement. That work revealed parentheses-shaped regions of diffuse radio emissions on the outskirts of the system. These structures most likely formed as a result of the initial collision a billion years ago. This new study, led by Andra Stroe, a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, further validates the idea that a previous collision occurred. The researchers analyzed new observations of PSZ2 G181 from two X-ray observatories—NASA's Chandra and the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton. Their study identified a bridge of cool gas connecting the two clusters, which probably resulted from gas stripping during the first collision, according to their report. Over the last billion years, the two clusters have drifted apart and now sit roughly 11 million light-years away from each other. This is the largest separation between these kinds of structures that astronomers have ever seen, according to NASA's statement. But Stroe and her colleagues found evidence to suggest these galaxy clusters are now on a collision course again. The team uncovered three more shock fronts aligned with the previous axis of collision—a potential early sign of a second, oncoming crash. The discovery of this rare event provides new insight into the dynamics of merging galaxy clusters—particularly those involving low-mass systems, which are underexplored. As the researchers note, finding radio emissions from low-mass clusters like PSZ2 G181 is challenging, but 'with the advent of new-generation radio telescopes and surveys, we may be uncovering the 'tip of the iceberg,' they state in their report.
