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Universe Today
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Image Credit: Universe Today
Fluffy Molecular Clouds Formed Stars in the Early Universe
- Stars form in Giant Molecular Clouds (GMCs), vast clouds of mostly hydrogen that can span tens of light years, observed in the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds.
- Metallicity, the abundance of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, affects star formation by cooling gas clouds and aiding in the formation of stars.
- New research in The Astrophysical Journal explores star formation processes in the early, low-metallicity Universe using observations from the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC).
- Using the ALMA telescope, researchers examined molecular clouds in the SMC associated with massive young stellar objects (YSOs) to study star-forming filamentary structures.
- Around 60% of the molecular clouds observed displayed a filamentary structure, while the rest had a 'fluffy' shape, with temperature differences noted between the two types of clouds.
- Classification of these clouds included single filaments, hub filaments, spatially compact clouds, and diffuse clouds based on their shapes.
- The study suggests that filamentary clouds are more likely to form lower-mass stars, while fluffy clouds present challenges in star formation.
- The structure and temperature transitions observed in the SMC have not been reported in higher metallicity environments like the Milky Way, indicating differences in star formation processes.
- Filamentary clouds associated with YSOs are believed to be younger and may provide insights into the formation of planetary systems in low-metallicity environments.
- Future research will focus on understanding the evolutionary stages of molecular clouds, the role of heavy elements in maintaining filamentary structures, and the impact of turbulence and magnetic fields on star formation.
- The interstellar medium and star formation in low-metallicity environments offer new perspectives on the formation and evolution of molecular clouds and planetary systems.
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