Star formation triggered by galaxy collisions

Lutz, Dieter; Genzel, Reinhard; Tacconi, Linda

Germany

Abstract

It is becoming increasingly clear that collisions between galaxies play an important role in galaxy evolution. The ultraluminous infrared galaxies are predominantly powered by enormous star-formation events that are triggered in the last phases of such collisions. These bursts occur just before the galaxies merge to form single elliptical galaxies.

1998 Nature
ISO eHST 27