University of Arkansas astrophysicists have taken an important step toward solving the mystery of how disk galaxies maintain the shape of their spiral arms. Their findings support the theory that these arms are created by a wave of denser matter that creates the spiral pattern as it travels across the galaxy.
“The structure of spiral arms in disk galaxies is a mystery,” said Ryan Miller, visiting assistant professor of physics. “No one knows what determines the shape of these spirals, or why they have certain numbers of arms. Our research provides a clear answer to part of that mystery.”
Disk galaxies, including the Milky Way, comprise 70 percent of known galaxies. They are characterized by their spiral-shaped arms, but astronomers are not sure how these form and maintain themselves.
Comments are closed.