Press release from Astronomy.com:
The simple picture of star formation calls for giant clouds of gas and dust to collapse inward due to gravity, growing denser and hotter until igniting nuclear fusion. In reality, forces other than gravity also influence the birth of stars. New research shows that cosmic magnetic fields play a more important role in star formation than previously thought.
A molecular cloud is a cloud of gas that acts as a stellar nursery. When a molecular cloud collapses, only a small fraction of the cloud's material forms stars. Scientists aren't sure why.
Gravity favors star formation by drawing material together, therefore some additional force must hinder the process. Magnetic fields and turbulence are the two leading candidates. A magnetic field is produced by moving electrical charges. Stars and most planets, including Earth, exhibit magnetic fields. Magnetic fields channel flowing gas, making it hard to draw the gas from all directions, while turbulence stirs the gas and induces an outward pressure that counteracts gravity.
Read the rest of the news here.
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