New Study Reveals Chaotic Early Lives of Young Stars

A recent study by the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) has shed light on the turbulent and highly variable early life of young stars, challenging previous assumptions about stellar infancy.

Key Findings

Mid-Infrared Variability Catalog

• Over ten years of data from NASA’s WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) and its extended mission NEOWISE were analysed.
• The research produced one of the largest and most detailed mid-infrared variability catalogs of Young Stellar Objects (YSOs) to date.

Understanding Young Stellar Objects (YSOs)

• YSOs are stars in the earliest stages of formation, before they enter the main sequence on the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (a chart showing stars’ temperature versus brightness).
• At this stage, stars are still stabilizing hydrogen fusion in their cores.

Formation Process

• YSOs form from the collapse of dense molecular clouds, which are giant, cold regions rich in gas and dust.
• The collapse can be triggered by:
  • Nearby supernova explosions
  • Radiation from other stars
  • Turbulence in the interstellar medium, causing local over-densities and gravitational instability

Source: PIB