Latest news with #KarlGJanskyVeryLargeArray
India.com
19-07-2025
- Science
- India.com
Scientists Crack Star-Birthing Mystery: Indian Team First To Measure Magnetism Near Infant Massive Star
For the first time in the world, a groundbreaking study led by researchers at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Thiruvananthapuram, has directly detected and measured magnetic fields near an infant massive star, a discovery that could revolutionise our understanding of how stars and galaxies form. Massive stars, those more than 8 to 10 times the mass of our Sun, have long baffled astrophysicists. Their formation process remained largely theoretical, especially because measuring magnetism around such nascent giants was nearly impossible, until now. A Peek Into Star-Birthing Nurseries The study focused on a massive protostar named IRAS 18162-2048, situated 4,500 light years away. Using cutting-edge data from the Karl G Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) in the US, the team observed a rare phenomenon: circularly polarised radio emissions. This form of emission is a telltale marker of magnetic fields. Thanks to this detection, the researchers were able to measure the magnetic field in the star's immediate surroundings, finding it to be between 20-35 Gauss, which is about 100 times stronger than Earth's magnetic field. Why This Matters? This is a landmark achievement in astrophysics. Previously, such magnetic fields had only been inferred or observed in low-mass protostars, like those that form stars similar to our Sun. But this study shows that even massive stars may follow similar magnetic pathways during formation, suggesting a universal mechanism behind star births. Dr Sarita Vig, the lead scientist from IIST who conceptualised the study, emphasised its importance: 'These magnetic field values are now scientifically measured from near the protostar, unlike earlier studies that relied on theoretical models.' Proving a Universal Theory The findings also support a long-standing theory in astrophysics, that jets seen erupting from stars and black holes are all powered by the same magnetic engine. 'This is the first strong evidence that jet formation physics is universal, whether it's a young star or a distant black hole,' said Amal George Cheriyan, a PhD researcher at IIST and co-author of the paper. Global Collaboration The work was a joint effort between IIST and leading institutions including the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (Argentina). Published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, this pioneering research not only solves a decades-old cosmic puzzle but also opens new paths to explore how magnetic forces influence the birth and evolution of galaxies.
New Indian Express
18-07-2025
- Science
- New Indian Express
Study sheds light on formation of stars, galaxies
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Massive protostars in our galaxy, that would later evolve to have mass of over 8-10 times that of the Sun, have remained an enigma for astrophysicists for decades. For the first time in the world, a team of researchers at the Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology (IIST), Thiruvananthapuram, in association with international scientists, have detected and measured magnetism near an infant massive star. The finding opens an exciting window into the understanding of how massive stars form, which later go on to shape entire galaxies. A protostar is the earliest known stage of a star that is beginning to form. The study was carried out on protostar IRAS 18162-2048, located 4,500 light years away using the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's Karl G Jansky Very Large Array in the US. 'The Astrophysical Journal Letters' brought out by the American Astronomical Society has published the study in detail. The researchers detected radio emission, with a special property known as circular polarisation near IRAS 18162-2048. The emission offers the first direct clue to the strength of magnetic fields in the immediate surroundings of a forming massive star. While strong magnetic fields have been observed earlier in low-mass protostars that go on to form stars like the Sun, measuring such fields around massive protostars has been a tough task until now. The new data allowed researchers to infer the magnetic field near the protostar to be about 20-35 Gauss, roughly 100 times stronger than Earth's magnetic field.
NDTV
10-06-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Black Hole With Powerful Jet Illuminated By Universe's 'Oldest Light' Spotted
Using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and Karl G Jansky Very Large Array (VLA), astronomers have spotted a powerful jet from a black hole situated in the distant universe that is being illuminated by the leftover glow from the Big Bang -- the oldest light in the universe. Researchers observed the black hole and its jet at a period they call "cosmic noon," which occurred about three billion years after the universe began. The black hole is located 11.6 billion light-years from Earth, when the cosmic microwave background (CMB) was much denser than it is now. During this time, most galaxies and supermassive black holes were growing faster than at any other time during the history of the universe. "As the electrons in the jets fly away from the black hole, they move through the sea of CMB radiation and collide with microwave photons," NASA stated, adding: "These collisions boost the energy of the photons up into the X-ray band, allowing them to be detected by Chandra even at this great distance, which is shown in the inset." The jets extending from these black holes can extend millions of light-years in length. They are exceedingly bright because when particles approach the speed of light, they give off a tremendous amount of energy and behave in weird ways that Albert Einstein predicted. Two other black holes Additionally, the researchers confirmed the existence of two different black holes with jets over 300,000 light-years long. Situated 11.6 billion and 11.7 billion light-years away, particles in one jet are moving at between 95 per cent and 99 per cent of the speed of light (called J1405+0415) and the other at between 92 per cent and 98 per cent of the speed of light (J1610+1811). In January, scientists stumbled upon a supermassive black hole, located a whopping 12.9 billion light-years from Earth, with its jet pointing straight at us. Named J0410-0139, the black hole has a mass of about 700 million Suns and is one of the oldest of its kind that scientists have ever observed. When one of these jets points directly at Earth, scientists call the black hole system a blazar. Notably, a jet racing at near-light speed but angled away from us can appear just as bright as a slower jet pointed directly at Earth.
