Astronomers Chart Magnetic Skeleton of Stellar Nursery
Researchers at MIT Haystack Observatory have used new data to map the magnetic fields within the DR21 stellar nursery. The study reveals that magnetic fields act as 'railroad tracks' that channel gas into dense filaments where new stars are formed.
Why it matters
Understanding the role of magnetic fields in star formation solves a long-standing astrophysical puzzle regarding how gas clouds collapse into stars.
Stars form when vast clouds of cold gas in space collapse under their own gravity. But not all gas collapses, and not all clouds form stars equally efficiently. A long-standing puzzle in astrophysics is what controls this process - and a leading suspect has been the role of magnetic fields, which thread through interstellar gas like an invisible scaffolding.
Scientific reporting on peer-reviewed research findings.
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