Baby Star's 'Crying' Solves a Stellar Mystery

[Judi Lynn]

By Ian O'Neill, Space.com Contributor | June 15, 2017 04:30pm ET


- click for image -

https://img.purch.com/h/1400/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5zcGFjZS5jb20vaW1hZ2VzL2kvMDAwLzA2Ni85NjEvb3JpZ2luYWwvcHJvdG9zdGFyLW9yaW9uLWtsLXNvdXJjZS1pLmpwZw==

An artist's impression of the massive protostar Orion KL Source I. Researchers recently used the ALMA telescope in Chile to precisely measure the rotating gases flowing out from the baby star as it forms.
Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)


Astronomers using the powerful Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile have precisely measured the rotating fountains of gas flowing out from a massive newborn star, revealing the complex interplay between the star's magnetism and centrifugal forces.

Astronomers are still puzzled by the way massive stars form in interstellar space, the new study's researchers said in a statement. When a massive rotating cloud of gas collapses under gravity, stellar fusion becomes possible, and a baby star is born. As angular momentum is conserved while the cloud shrinks, the resulting baby star should be spinning very fast, according to the laws of physics.

To get a better idea of the conservation of angular (or rotational) momentum, imagine a spinning ice-skater. As ice-skaters spin with their arms outstretched, they spin slowly; when they bring their arms close to their bodies, they spin faster. Physics dictates that this concept should hold true for a shrinking cloud of star-forming gas: As it shrinks, it should spin faster. [Planet-Forming Disk Imaged By Telescope Array (Video)]

But astronomers have found that stars in our galaxy spin much more slowly than the laws of physics predict they should. Therefore, there must be some mechanism that's dissipating angular momentum from stars soon after they are born, the researchers said.

More:
https://www.space.com/37210-baby-star-crying-solves-mystery.html












More images of Chile's ALMA telescope:

https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=AwrTcXb0G0NZSTAAkmmLuLkF;_ylc=X1MDOTYwNTc0ODMEX3IDMgRiY2sDZWFlcjdmOWNnbDI5ZyUyNmIlM0Q0JTI2ZCUzRGtyRmJQQ0ZwWUVJanZxa0JhenBsUEYwYURZRC5NaEVpb0RnLjV3LS0lMjZzJTNEcXQlMjZpJTNEZTVHQmFhNVJvVU9VVk5VQnlRbTUEZnIDBGdwcmlkA0FjZEtKVHJiUXJlNGNrcDNRU25lckEEbXRlc3RpZANudWxsBG5fc3VnZwMyBG9yaWdpbgNpbWFnZXMuc2VhcmNoLnlhaG9vLmNvbQRwb3MDMARwcXN0cgMEcHFzdHJsAwRxc3RybAMyMwRxdWVyeQNhbG1hIHRlbGVzY29wZSBpbiBjaGlsZQR0X3N0bXADMTQ5NzU3MDI5NQR2dGVzdGlkA251bGw-?gprid=AcdKJTrbQre4ckp3QSnerA&pvid=8RriKDIwNi7lO2d6WQqJMA13MjYwMgAAAABBU_3w&fr2=sb-top-images.search.yahoo.com&p=alma+telescope+in+chile&ei=UTF-8&iscqry=&fr=sfp#id=15&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.bbcimg.co.uk%2Fmedia%2Fimages%2F55762000%2Fjpg%2F_55762192_55762191.jpg&action=close

[longship]

1. The ALMA observatory is absolutely incredible.

It's a millimeter/submillimeter radio telescope that sits on a mountain plateau 16,500 feet altitude.

Can you imagine working at that altitude?

Absolutely amazing!
R&K