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

Magnetic fields play a central role in the star-formation process, from diffuse gas to the dense, starless, molecular cloud cores that represent the first gravitationally bound structures on the path to star formation. Yet, the evolution of magnetic fields during this critical phase remains poorly understood. Recent studies suggest that cosmic-ray electrons interacting with magnetic fields in prestellar cores can produce detectable synchrotron emission at low radio frequencies, offering a novel probe of their magnetization in tandem with existing observational techniques. However, current instruments lack the angular resolution and sensitivity to exploit this signature. The Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) will provide the required capabilities enabling detections in nearby star-forming regions within a reasonable number of observation hours in AA* and AA4. Thanks to its large field of view, observations of low- to high-mass star-forming regions within the first kiloparsec from the Sun will enable both targeted studies of individual objects and statistical analyses over several hundreds of prestellar cores per pointing, marking a breakthrough in our understanding of their magnetic field properties. This chapter outlines the scientific context, observational challenges, and prospects for probing magnetic fields in prestellar cores with SKAO, and highlights synergies with complementary facilities such as ALMA, as well as cross-disciplinary collaborations within the SKAO community.