Galaxy fusion provides an explanation for asymmetrical stellar velocities in elliptical galaxies

Snapshots of the distribution of luminous material (bulb and disc) in a model of a galaxy during the accretion of a satellite, from a simulation to N bodies. Each image measures 45 kpc per side. Consecutive images are separated by 80 million years, and t
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Using the IAC's Beowulf group of computers and the National Supercomputing Centre's Mare Nostrum, an IAC team has simulated the process of galaxy fusion by tracking the trajectory and interactions of more than a million particles.

These simulations have made it possible to reproduce the behaviour of stellar velocities in elliptical galaxies.

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