Scientists recently saw a spiral shape in the large disks of dust around a big, new star. This indicates that some forces of gravity are acting on it and this finding could change our ideas about how big stars form.
During the process of creating stars, a special disk delivers material to the star being born or “protostar”. For large protostars that are bigger than 8 times the size of the Sun and continuing to grow, it is believed that clusters of stuff come from the disk very quickly and fall onto the protostar. This causes it to suddenly increase in mass for a short period of time.
A group of researchers led by Ross A. Burns from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan used a technique called “VLBI” to look at light coming from something scientists call a “high-mass protostar”, known as G358-MM1. It is only the third time ever that scientists have seen something like this happening. The Maser Monitoring Organization (“M2O”) studied this very intensely. At last, it was possible for the research team to discover more about this phenomenon in great detail.
The scientific data we obtained show a central star and a curved pattern with four sections. This type of spiral shape in spinning circles around young stars was thought to be typical for when big stars are born, but until now it had never been proven. This finding not only showed us the first time ever this kind of spiral drive in the process of making a high mass star, but also linked up these unstable spirals with how huge stars form overtime.
Scientists used a new method called “heat-wave mapping” to map the surface of a disk known as G358-MM1. Any clumps of materials falling onto the protostar (a star in its earliest stage) would cause energy to be released, heating up parts of the disk from the inside out. Looking at which regions were then activated in response revealed where each layer of the disk is located.
A group of 90+ astronomers from many countries around the world, are going to use the same technique to watch the disks of other stars that grow quickly in the future.
According to the research done by R.A. Burns and other researchers, a disk with four spiral arms spectacularly generated a high-mass protostar and also managed to accurately acquire materials from its nearby area on February 27th, 2023. This astounding study was published in Nature Astronomy with the DOI: 10.1038/s41550-023-01899-w.
This study was paid for by 6 organizations including The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, The University of Guanajuato, Poland’s Ministry of Education and Science, The National Science Centre in Poland, Italy’s Ministry of University and Research, and Russia’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education. They are all working together to investigate chronic political instability and HIV/AIDS response in Guinea-Bissau.
What are low vs high mass stars?
Low mass stars are stars whose mass is less than about 8 times the mass of the Sun. They include red dwarfs, which are the most common type of star in the universe and have a mass less than about 0.5 times the mass of the Sun. Low mass stars are generally smaller and dimmer than high mass stars, and they have much longer lifespans, lasting up to trillions of years.
High mass stars are stars whose mass is more than 8 times the mass of the Sun. They are generally brighter and hotter than low mass stars and have much shorter lifespans, sometimes lasting only a few million years. High mass stars also end their lives in a more dramatic fashion, going supernova and creating neutron stars or black holes.
What are the 5 stages of a high mass star?
1. Protostar: This is the initial stage of formation of a high-mass star, in which the star is still gathering mass from its surrounding environment.
2. Main Sequence: This is the longest stage of a high-mass star’s life, during which the star is fusing hydrogen into helium in its core and radiating energy.
3. Red Supergiant: As the star runs out of hydrogen fuel in its core, it begins to expand and cool, becoming a red supergiant.
4. Supernova: As the star continues to gain mass, its core collapses, resulting in a supernova explosion that expels much of the material into its surrounding environment.
5. Neutron Star or Black Hole: The remaining core of the star is compressed into an extremely dense object, either a neutron star or a black hole, depending on the mass of the original star.
How are high mass stars formed?
High mass stars form in dense molecular clouds of gas and dust, which are referred to as stellar nurseries. These molecular clouds are made up of primarily hydrogen gas, which is then pulled together by gravity, forming a dense core. As the core becomes denser and hotter, it begins to collapse, forming what is known as a protostar. As the protostar continues to collapse, the density and temperature increase, and the protostar begins to heat up and radiate light. Eventually, the protostar will become hot enough to ignite nuclear fusion and become a main sequence star. High mass stars have a higher mass than most other stars, and so they have a higher gravity, which causes them to collapse more quickly and become hotter and brighter.
Is the Sun a high mass star?
No, the Sun is not a high mass star. Its mass is about 2 x 10^30 kg, which is about 333,000 times the mass of the Earth. By comparison, high mass stars have masses of more than 10 times the mass of the Sun.
