Mergers between galaxies trigger activity in their core

(University of Groningen) Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) play a major role in galaxy evolution. Astronomers from the University of Groningen and SRON 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. They were able to compile about ten times more images of merging galaxies than previous studies by using a machine-learning algorithm. The results were published in the journal Astronomy & A...