Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Science

Twisted magnetic field around newborn star confirms decades-old jet theory

Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), of which the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) is a partner, have captured the first direct, high-resolution images of a magnetic field wrapped tightly around the outflow of gas...

Twisted magnetic field around newborn star confirms decades-old jet theory
Image: Phys.org
Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), of which the U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) is a partner, have captured the first direct, high-resolution images of a magnetic field wrapped tightly around the outflow of gas streaming away from a forming star—evidence that solves a decades-old puzzle about how young stars sculpt the powerful jets that form them.

Originally published at Phys.org

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