Widespread Turbulence is Upsetting Star Formation in Stephan's Quintet

The study observed molecular gas in Stephan's Quintet, a compact galaxy group, using the Atacama Compact Array. The researchers mapped CO gas, which is a proxy for molecular hydrogen, across the entire system. The map revealed how turbulent different regions were, and how that affects star formation. The CO gas is mostly concentrated in the disk of NGC 7319 and in the regions between the galaxies, including the shocked filament and tidal tail. The study found that star formation efficiency is negatively correlated with CO velocity dispersion, with regions of high turbulence showing suppressed star formation. The findings suggest that turbulence plays a significant role in regulating star formation in interacting systems. The study highlights how galaxy interactions can both compress and disperse molecular gas, creating dramatic differences in star formation activity. The research shows that in turbulent settings, star forming gas struggles to concentrate and settle down enough to form stars. The results contribute to understanding how galaxy collisions and interactions in the early universe affect star formation. The study is published in The Astrophysical Journal.

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