Wayward Stars: Has Ejection Ever Been Observed?

[NelsonsXanadu]

hey everyone, I have one question. Has it ever been heard of, for a star moving at higher velocities, to be 'ejected'?. Especially if its on the fringes of the galaxy? Or if two galaxies where to collide, wouldn't it be plausible, for stars and be swept away into empy space outside of any galaxy? What would happen to such a wayward star?

 

[turbo]

Stars can be ejected from our galaxy. Probably the most common method is "gravitational slingshot" through interaction with super-massive body(ies) near the core of the MW. Stars can also be stripped out of a galaxy due to tidal forces.

 

[NelsonsXanadu]

That seems so sad...what would happen to the poor star? Been doomed to float through empty space for its life?

 

[turbo]

Depends on the ejection speed. If that speed is well in excess of what is necessary to escape the gravitational influence of the galaxy, it may well spend its lifetime mostly alone. If the speed is marginal, it may slowly loop back to the host galaxy and establish an orbit that let's it plunge in and out of the galaxy for a long time. Its orbit might decay (through gravitational influence of the galaxy) such that it could become bound to the galaxy once again.

 

[Radrook]

That seems so sad...what would happen to the poor star? Been doomed to float through empty space for its life?

That would depend on its trajectory. If the star is long lived one and the speed of an approaching galaxy such as Andromeda is added to its own then it might be adopted. It could also become part of one of our globular clusters or Magellanic clouds which are considered satellite galaxies.