June 15, 2017

Orion KL Source I seen by ALMA (Image ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), Hirota et al.)

An article published in the journal “Nature Astronomy” describes a study of the massive newborn baby star Orion KL Source I. A team of astronomers led by Tomoya Hirota used the ALMA radio telescope to capture what was called the birth cry of that star and determine that its outflow’s motion and shape indicate that the interaction of centrifugal and magnetic forces in a disk surrounding the star plays a crucial role in that cry.