SYDNEY, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- A galaxy's location in the universe can significantly influence its evolution, according to the findings revealed Wednesday by an Australia-based radio astronomy research center.
The Deep Extragalactic Visible Legacy Survey, or DEVILS, has released its initial data and a series of recent publications, offering a new level of detail in the understanding of galaxies in the distant universe.
Researchers found that where a galaxy lives strongly influences its shape, size and growth rate in the distant universe.
"Someone who has lived their whole life in the city may have a very different personality compared to someone who lives remotely or in an isolated community. Galaxies are no different," said project lead Associate Professor Luke Davies from the University of Western Australia node of the International Center for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR).
"Galaxies that are surrounded by lots of other galaxies, the bustling city centers of the cosmos, tend to grow more slowly and have very different structures compared to their isolated counterparts," he said.
Galaxies in crowded regions interact and compete for resources such as gas to form stars and grow, which can slow star formation and cause some galaxies to die earlier, Davies added. ■
