IIST astronomers measure magnetic fields around young massive protostar
Astronomers at IIST just made a big leap in space science—they directly detected magnetic fields around the young, massive protostar IRAS 18162-2048, about 4,500 light-years away.
This is the first time anyone's measured these fields so close to such a huge newborn star.
Discovery helps link the formation and growth of stars, black holes
The team used one of the world's best radio telescopes to find that these magnetic fields are about 100 times stronger than Earth's.
Their discovery shows that magnetic fields and spinning motion help launch powerful jets from stars—linking how both stars and black holes form and grow.
It also gives scientists better tools for understanding how stars come to life across the universe.
Results published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters
Catching these faint signals through thick clouds of gas and dust was tough work, but the researchers pulled it off.
Their results are now published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, marking a proud moment for Indian astronomy.