New study resolves mystery of how massive stars form
Thursday, January 22, 2009 - 10:56
in Astronomy & Space
Theorists have long wondered how massive stars - up to 120 times the mass of the Sun - can form without blowing away the clouds of gas and dust that feed their growth. But the problem turns out to be less mysterious than it once seemed. A study published this week by Science shows how the growth of a massive star can proceed despite outward-flowing radiation pressure that exceeds the gravitational force pulling material inward...