Thursday, June 25, 2026

Magnetic Fields Channel Gas Through Filaments into Star Formation Sites

This Spitzer Space Telescope image shows the DR21 star-forming region, a large molecular hydrogen cloud about 6,000 light years away. DR21 forms stars rapidly, and new research shows how magnetic fields funnel gas into the region. The magnetic field lines in this image are from the now-ended SOFIA mission. Image Credit: T. Pillai/SOFIA/NASA and J. Kauffmann/JPL-Caltech/NASA

Stars form inside molecular clouds where cold gas collapses gravitationally on itself. But there's more to this process than gravity. New research shows how magnetic field lines funnel gas through sub-filaments into star formation sites.



No comments:

Post a Comment