For decades, astronomers believed that when two galaxies collide, the merger triggers the death of a galaxy by shutting down star formation. New research from Florida International University (FIU) is challenging that long-held idea. Using more than 11,000 simulated galaxies from the IllustrisTNG (TNG50) cosmological simulation, FIU researchers found that galaxy mergers are not the primary cause of galaxy quenching—the process in which galaxies stop forming new stars. Instead, the research suggests that "slow heating over billions of years" may play a much larger role than dramatic cosmic collisions. In this video, Camilo Casimiro, Ph.D. candidate in FIU's Department of Physics, and astrophysicist Dr. Asa Bluck explain how their findings could reshape our understanding of how galaxies evolve across the universe. Research published in:Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society --- Featured Researchers Camilo Casimiro – Ph.D. Candidate, Florida International University Dr. As...