Machine learning reveals galaxy mergers don't always trigger black hole growth
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Machine learning was used to better classify galaxy mergers and study the link between mergers, black hole growth, and star formation. This addresses issues with subjective human classification.
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The study found that galaxy mergers alone do not trigger significant black hole growth - large reservoirs of cold gas are also needed.
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Mergers only led to major black hole growth in specific star-forming galaxies containing lots of cold gas.
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The new methodology allowed the analysis of around 8,000 galaxies with accreting black holes, a much larger sample than previously possible.
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This research opens up an exciting new avenue to study thousands of galaxies and black hole properties using machine learning for consistent classification.