A team of astronomers, led by Paulo Cortes from the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory and the Joint ALMA Observatory, has unveiled a significant finding regarding the development of young star systems. Utilizing the advanced capabilities of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), the researchers have made the first-ever observation of a narrow, spiral-shaped gas streamer, which is being guided by magnetic fields. This streamer channels star-forming material from a surrounding cloud directly to a nascent binary star system located in the Perseus region.
Traditionally, star formation has been understood to originate from vast clouds of gas and dust. However, recent insights suggest that this process is more dynamic than previously assumed. The team”s observations captured the intricate details of dust and molecules swirling around the newly formed binary star system, known as SVS13A. These findings reveal that magnetic fields play an active role in directing the flow of material, establishing a preferred pathway for gas to navigate toward the disk where stars and planets are born.
To illustrate this concept, Cortes likened the phenomenon to a garden hose that efficiently delivers star-building material along a winding course shaped by unseen forces. The observations depict a stream of gas, referred to as a “sub-Alfvénic streamer,” regulated by spiral magnetic field lines. “This new data gives us a new window into star formation,” Cortes remarked, adding, “This streamer shows how magnetic fields can regulate star formation by shaping the infall of material, like a dedicated highway for the cars to move along.”
The ALMA data reveals two spiral arms of dust encircling the stars, with the gas streamer closely following this same trajectory. This remarkable alignment implies that the gas within the streamer is moving at a slower pace than previously thought, lending support to the idea of a magnetized channel rather than a chaotic collapsing cloud. The existence of such a streamer, linking the cloud to the disk and supplying material in a controlled manner, underscores the critical roles that both gravity and magnetism play in the formation of stars and the subsequent development of planets.
This pioneering research has been accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters and marks the first instance in which astronomers have directly mapped both the gas streamer and its guiding magnetic field in a single observational study.
About NRAO
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) is a facility of the U.S. National Science Foundation, operated under a cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.
About ALMA
The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is an international astronomy facility, a collaboration among the European Southern Observatory (ESO), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), and Japan”s National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS), in partnership with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is financed by ESO on behalf of its Member States, by NSF in collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and Taiwan”s National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), as well as by NINS in cooperation with the Academia Sinica (AS) in Taiwan and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI). The construction and operational leadership of ALMA is managed by ESO for its Member States, by the NRAO on behalf of North America, and by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) for East Asia. The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) oversees the unified leadership and management of ALMA”s construction, commissioning, and operations.
