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Magnetic Fields in High-Mass Infrared Dark Clouds

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arxiv 1410.7390 v2 pith:C5DIZTSB submitted 2014-10-27 astro-ph.GA

classification astro-ph.GA
keywords magnetichmsffieldfieldsirdcscloudsfilamenthigh-mass
verification ladder T0 review T1 audit T2 compute T3 formal
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High-mass Stars are cosmic engines known to dominate the energetics in the Milky Way and other galaxies. However, their formation is still not well understood. Massive, cold, dense clouds, often appearing as Infrared Dark Clouds (IRDCs), are the nurseries of massive stars. No measurements of magnetic fields in IRDCs in a state prior to the onset of high-mass star formation (HMSF) have previously been available, and prevailing HMSF theories do not consider strong magnetic fields. Here, we report observations of magnetic fields in two of the most massive IRDCs in the Milky Way. We show that IRDCs G11.11-0.12 and G0.253+0.016 are strongly magnetized and that the strong magnetic field is as important as turbulence and gravity for HMSF. The main dense filament in G11.11-0.12 is perpendicular to the magnetic field, while the lower density filament merging onto the main filament is parallel to the magnetic field. The implied magnetic field is strong enough to suppress fragmentation sufficiently to allow HMSF. Other mechanisms reducing fragmentation, such as the entrapment of heating from young stars via high mass surface densities, are not required to facilitate HMSF.

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Cited by 5 Pith papers

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    astro-ph.GA 2026-07 conditional novelty 6.0 of 10

    Simplified virial analyses of W43-MM1 cores overestimate non-thermal support because linewidths include organized motions of 1–3 km/s and surface terms are omitted, producing unexpectedly high stability fractions.

  2. ALMA observations of Magnetic Fields in the Massive Star-forming Region IRAS 18360-0537

    astro-ph.GA 2026-07 conditional novelty 6.0 of 10

    An ordered hourglass B-field in IRAS 18360-0537 lies perpendicular to the outflow/rotation axis and is reshaped by rotation, outflow cavity walls, and accretion rather than pure magnetic regulation.

  3. Early phases of star formation with SKAO: synchrotron emission from dense starless cores in molecular clouds

    astro-ph.GA 2026-06 unverdicted novelty 4.0 of 10

    SKAO will enable detection of synchrotron emission from prestellar cores to probe their magnetic field properties in nearby star-forming regions.

  4. Study of the physical and chemical properties of dense clumps at different evolutionary stages in several regions of massive star and stellar cluster formation

    astro-ph.GA 2024-12 conditional novelty 4.0 of 10

    A survey of 20 dense clumps in five massive star-forming regions finds a strong mass-size correlation, weak dynamical correlations, and hints that magnetic fields around 1 mG help stabilize the most massive clumps.

  5. The magnetic field of the Milky Way: an observational perspective

    astro-ph.GA 2026-06 unverdicted novelty 1.0 of 10

    Review summarizing observational data on the Milky Way's magnetic field structure, including spiral alignment, halo components, turbulence, and correlations with interstellar gas and dust.

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