{
  "id": 236185,
  "title": "Milky Way-like simulation reveals how central galactic structures grow together",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/06/milky-way-like-simulation-reveals-how-central-galactic-structures",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-06T20:40:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-08-milky-simulation-reveals-central-galactic.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Astrophysicists have crafted a detailed computer simulation of a galaxy similar to the Milky Way, unveiling a fascinating process behind the formation of two key features near its supermassive black hole. These features are the nuclear star cluster and the nuclear stellar disk, both of which can grow and evolve together over billions of years. By tracking the behavior of gas and stars within a realistic simulation, researchers have found that the galactic bar, composed of stars and dark matter, acts as a cosmic conveyor belt, funneling material from the galaxy's outer regions inward towards the center. This inward flow fuels the growth of both the star cluster and the disk simultaneously, with star-forming processes triggered repeatedly as gas accumulates. Over time, the relative masses and sizes of the two structures can become disconnected, despite being born from the same process. The simulation also reveals the presence of a dark matter gap around the galactic bar, a phenomenon observed in many actual galaxies. Furthermore, the formation of a massive central star cluster can cause the nuclear star cluster to merge with the surrounding disk, leading to significant changes in its mass and size over relatively short periods. These insights into the coevolution of galactic centers offer a deeper understanding of the interplay between black holes and their host galaxies, potentially linking various components of galactic structure and evolution.",
  "summary": "Understanding the formation and evolution of the centers of galaxies is one of the most intriguing challenges in astrophysics. The new study aims to unveil the physical processes that led to the formation of two striking features surrounding the black holes at the centers of most galaxies: nuclear star clusters and nuclear stellar disks. Only in the last decade have such galactic structures been…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}