Magnetic ‘Cosmic Funnel’ Directs Star-Forming Material to Infant Binary System
For the first time, astronomers have observed magnetic fields channeling star-building material through spiral streamers directly into a developing binary star system. This discovery challenges previous models of chaotic star formation and reveals how magnetic forces create organized pathways for cosmic construction.
Magnetic Highways Feed Growing Star Systems
Astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery about how young star systems accumulate the material needed to grow, according to new research published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters. A team led by Paulo Cortes of the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory and the Joint ALMA Observatory has observed, for the first time ever, magnetic fields guiding a narrow streamer of gas that directly channels star-forming material from surrounding clouds into a newborn binary star system.