Galaxy Collisions ─ Forging New Worlds from Cosmic Crashes

Galaxy collisions are the key process in building galaxies, triggering the formation of stars, and the build-up of heavy elements that allow the formation of planets and solar systems. This book presents the revolutionary research advances achieved in the last decade and lucidly explains the underlying dynamical processes.

Galaxy Collisions

takes a comprehensive trip through the visually spectacular world of galaxy collisions

investigates the interactions of stars, gas clouds, and dark matter in galaxy collisions

uses analogies and metaphors to help explain the complex nature of galaxies

presents recent research results to enhance the understanding of galaxy formation and evolution

includes discoveries of minor collisions within our own group of galaxies

shows how a galaxy collision might affect a solar system, or a planet like ours.

Professor Curtis Struck has worked in the field of galaxy collisions since his graduate studies in the late 1970's. He has published more than 50 refereed journal papers, the majority in this area, and many as first author. He has spoken at a number of international research conferences and given many public talks. Struck is a theorist and computer modeler and has worked with many observers on the interpretation of data on colliding galaxies in all wavebands, except gamma-ray. This includes ground-based optical and radio data, and data from NASA's Hubble, Chandra, Spitzer, and GALEX space observatiories.