Unraveling the Mystery of Spiral Galaxies in the Universe

Astronomers have long wondered why spiral galaxies like the Milky Way are scarce in our region of the universe, which is dominated by elliptical galaxies. A new supercomputer simulation suggests that frequent interactions among galaxies in the supergalactic plane smooth out potential spiral arms, leading to the formation of elliptical galaxies. When two galaxies of comparable mass are near each other, the ordered motions of stars become disordered, removing the appearance of spiral arms. Large galaxy mergers can also trigger starbursts and reduce the amount of new stars that can be formed, resulting in more elliptical galaxies. The simulation aligns with observations, and further research aims to improve our understanding of galaxy evolution.