This is an image of a galaxy with an active galactic nucleus.

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) play a major role in galaxy evolution.

Astronomers from the University of Groningen and Netherlands Institute for Space Research have now used a record-sized sample of galaxies to confirm that galaxy mergers have a positive effect on igniting AGNs.

One of the bigger questions in astronomy is how galaxies evolve from clouds of gas and dust to the beautiful spiral structures we see in our Galactic neighborhood.

So-called active galactic nuclei (AGNs) form interesting research objects to answer part of this question, because there appears to be co-evolution between AGNs and galaxies.

Astronomers from the University of Groningen and SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research have now compiled a sample with a record-number of galaxies to study one of the factors that allegedly has a positive effect on igniting AGNs: mergers between galaxies.

And the other way around, the researchers find about 1.3 times more mergers in samples of galaxies with an AGN compared to samples of galaxies without an AGN.

Reference: “Mergers trigger active galactic nuclei out to z ∼ 0.6” by F.

Owers, 27 May 2020, Astronomy & Astrophysics.

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