Astronomers have discovered that some infant stars in the early universe were born in “fluffy” pre-natal cocoons, similar to our baby blankets. To investigate this phenomenon, a team led by Kyushu University researcher Kazuki Tokuda studied the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), a satellite dwarf galaxy of the Milky Way. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), they observed 17 molecular clouds and found that about 60% had a “fluffy” shape, while 40% had a filamentary structure.
The team’s research suggests that the environment, such as an adequate supply of heavy elements, is crucial for maintaining a filamentary structure. This could have implications for the formation of planetary systems. The study provides new insights into the evolution of molecular clouds and how they change over time, painting a more detailed picture of the overall evolution of the universe.
Tokuda’s team collected data from molecular clouds with growing baby stars 20 times the mass of our sun. They found that the filamentary clouds were warmer than the fluffy clouds, which may be due to cloud collisions causing turbulence. The researchers theorize that this difference in temperature is connected to the age of the clouds.
The discovery of “fluffy” cosmic blankets has significant implications for our understanding of star formation in the early universe. By studying these environments, scientists can better understand how stars formed and evolved over time, shedding light on the mysteries of the cosmos.
Source: https://www.space.com/infant-stars-ancient-stellar-nurseries-fluffy