An international team of astronomers has charm sight of an strange phenomenon in the amalgamation of two galaxy clusters . Inside this cosmic collision , the researchers see a galax leave behind a track of gas , which in itself is not unusual . What is strange is that the gas is not dissipate , and that the further it is from the beetleweed , the promising it appear .
The finding , reported inScience Advances , has puzzled scientist . A bit like an aeroplane lead , the gasolene should dust and spread out out in the intergalactic space . or else , the lead has remain in place for a very long time , with an unknown process giving it DOE .
" This was altogether unexpected , " lead author Francesco de Gasperin , from Leiden University , say in astatement . " As these clouds of electron radiate away their energy over fourth dimension , they should become fainter and go away . Instead , in this case , after more than a hundred million years , the trail of electrons is beam brilliantly . "
He added : " Part of the energy released in the merger event must have been transfer to regenerate the cloud of negatron . "
The brightest part of the lead is located towards the cardinal region of the cluster . The clump itself is known as Abell 1033 , located 1.6 billion light - years from Earth . Abell 1033 already had its 15 minutes of fame when , a few eld back , it was nickname a “ radio genus Phoenix ” – an inactive cluster abruptly born-again in radio undulation thanks to its merger with another group of galaxies .
wireless waves were also of the essence for this study . The team used the Low - Frequency Array ( LOFAR ) and were able to probe frequencies that had not been observed before .
" It ’s like being among the last explorers . As soon as we move in uncharted territories , or in this case at undiscovered frequencies , our cosmos is still full of surprise , " explained De Gasperin . " And this is just a first step . Much is still to be done to understand the complexity of galaxy clump , and find what is lurking at low radio frequencies . "
It will be interesting to know if this mechanics is the exclusion or the average in intergalactic plasma . More depressed - frequency studies might reveal just that .
