A Supercomputer Simulation of a Collision between Two Galaxy Clusters (VIDEO)
Caption
A supercomputer simulation of a collision between two galaxy clusters, similar to the real object known as the 'Bullet Cluster,' and showing the same effects tested for in Abell 3827. All galaxy clusters contain stars (orange), hydrogen gas (shown as red) and invisible dark matter (shown as blue). Individual stars, and individual galaxies are so far apart from each other that they whizz straight past each other. The diffuse gas slows down and becomes separated from the galaxies, due to the forces between ordinary particles that act as friction. If dark matter feels only the force of gravity, it should stay in the same place as the stars, but if it feels other forces, its trajectory through this giant particle collider would be changed.
Credit
Andrew Robertson/Institute for Computational Cosmology/Durham University
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