Young Stars and Galaxies Share Gas-Jet Secrets

An international research team has discovered that gas jets ejected by young protostars, such as HH 80-81, are shaped and directed by helical magnetic fields similar to those observed in supermassive black holes. Led by Adriana Rodríguez Kamenetzky, with contributions from UNAM researchers Alice Pasetto, Carlos Carrasco González, and Luis Felipe Rodríguez, the study supports the theory of a universal mechanism for aligning and collimating these jets.

Using the Very Large Array (VLA) in the United States, the researchers measured the rotation of radio wave polarization, revealing the three-dimensional structure of the magnetic field in the protostellar jet. This breakthrough represents the first definitive evidence that magnetic fields can collimate astrophysical jets across vastly different scales, from young stars to entire galaxies.

Carlos Carrasco González noted that while the VLA first detected a magnetic field in a protostellar jet in 2010, its three-dimensional structure remained elusive. In 2021, Pasetto identified a helical magnetic field in a black hole jet in the M87 galaxy, laying the foundation for this research.

The discovery of similar magnetic structures across vastly different scales supports the unified model for the formation and evolution of astrophysical jets. These findings highlight the critical role these structures play in transporting energy and matter throughout the universe.

The study, Helical Magnetic Field in a Massive Protostellar Jet, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, underscores the pivotal role of UNAM’s Institute of Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics (IRyA) as a global leader in cutting-edge astrophysical research.