Unlike our solitary Sun, most stars form in binary or multiple-star systems. However, astrophysicists haven’t learned a lot about how these complex stellar systems are born because they lack high-resolution observations to distinguish between different theories of formation.
But international researchers have now gained some insight with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Northern Chile. Their study of IRAS 04239+2436, a triple system of protostars about 460 light-years from Earth surrounded by striking structures of gas called streamers, is reported in a recent study published in The Astrophysical Journal. The observations capture a critical moment in the formation process of a multiple star system.
“This is the first time that the origin of protostars and the streamers have been simultaneously and comprehensively clarified. The powerful synergy between ALMA’s observations and advanced simulations reveals the hidden mysteries of star formation,” said astrophysicist Tomoaki Matsumoto of Hosei University, a collaborator on the study, in a statement.
