Researchers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, have made a discovery regarding X-ray activity that provides insight into the evolution of galaxies.
“There is an ongoing debate within the scientific community regarding the evolution of galaxies,” stated Kimberly Weaver, an astrophysicist at Goddard who led the research.
“We have found supermassive black holes in the centers of almost all Milky Way-sized galaxies. The question remains as to how much influence they have compared to the impact of star formation. By studying nearby galaxies like NGC 4945, which we believe is in a transitional phase, we can develop more accurate models of how stars and black holes contribute to galactic changes.”
Weaver presented the team’s findings at the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society in New Orleans on January 11. A paper discussing the discovery is currently undergoing review by The Astrophysical Journal.
This research was made possible through the utilization of data collected by the ESA (European Space Agency) satellite XMM-Newton (X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission), with assistance from NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory.
2024-01-11 16:00:05
Link from phys.org rnrn