The universe is littered with example of galaxies colliding , but Abell 2146 is something much bigger , being formed from two gargantuan Galax urceolata clusters immix , each containing hundreds of galax . Unsurprisingly , the shockwaves from this impact are enormous , and the first elaborate study of bunch merger shockwaves has bring out the scale .
Two shock absorber fronts exist within Abell 2146 , each of which is around 1.6 million wakeful years across . One is thebow shock , which parallels the bow wafture create by a move boat , and the other is the upstream electrical shock trailing behind the move cluster .
InMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Societya team led byDr Helen Russellof the University of Nottingham describe and analyze data from theChandra X - RayandSubaru opticaltelescopes on these two shockwaves .
Abell 2146 with its major features labelled including the two shock waves and brightest galaxies. Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Nottingham/H. Russell et al.; Optical: NAOJ/Subaru
Abell 2146 is around 2.8 billion lite - yr forth , so even at its immense scale , it is n’t easy to see . Nevertheless , the two herculean scope reveal the shock with surprising clarity .
Abell 2146 ’s shockwaves are what is known as collisionless . This might seem like an internally contradictory statement , but collisionless shocks occur when the compactness of subatomic particle in colliding media are so downcast they almost never interact directly . The gasses between galaxies within a bunch are so diffuse that when the clusters meet , unless single galaxies collide , a particle would need to travel 30,000 - 50,000 light - year before encountering one from the other clump .
With such an enormous amount of place , the total telephone number of particles is expectant and a few will run into each other , but such collisions are insufficient to create a shockwave themselves . However , many of the particle in each intergalactic spiritualist are charged . Shockwaves are the consequence of the encounters between the particles of one clustering and the magnetic field of study of the other .
Composite image of Abell 2146. Cluster #2 is moving towards the bottom left and plowing through cluster #1. The hot gas in the former is pushing out a shock wave as it collides with the hot gas in the other cluster. Image credit: Chandra/University of Nottingham
Extraordinarily , given the want of lineal wallop between particles , the paper note that “ the shocks … dissipate most of the merger ’s ∼ 1064erg of energizing energy , ” do the clusters to commingle rather than go across through each other and keep going .
The interstellar metier , and the house of cards that defines the solar system , also produce a collisionless shock wave asthey encounter , even though the interstellar medium is considerably denser than the gas between galaxy . Consequently , by provide us with a rare chance to see collisionless shockwaves from the outside , Abell 2146 could serve stargazer model the electrical shock our solar scheme is creating .
“ Our event for Abell 2146 are require to be valid for collisionless shocks with similar parameters in other environments and hold up the existing picture from the solar wind and supernova remnants , ” the paper notes .
" I first discover these shock front in an earlier , short Chandra reflection when I was a Ph.D. bookman . It was a thrilling discovery and a fantastic journeying to this recondite , legacy observance discover the detailed shock structure , " Russell suppose in astatement .
The paper take down Abell 2146 is one of only three cluster mergers know with shock straw man shining enough to study .
Even the breadth of Abell 2146 ’s two daze layers is over-the-top – more than 50,000 light - years for the curtain call seismic disturbance , around equal to the radius of the Milky Way .
Understanding collisionless shockwaves has practical implications , as they can produce radiation that could sham the base hit of spaceprobes and crew missions .
