Young Stellar Objects

Young Stellar Objects Latest News

Recently, a team of researchers has decoded the early lives of young stars called Young Stellar Objects (YSO) using a decade of data from NASA satellites Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and its extended mission NEOWISE.

About Young Stellar Objects

• These are stars in the earliest stages of their lives where stars stably fuse hydrogen in their cores.
  • This is the stage before the stars enter the main sequence of what is called the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (a plot showing stars in various stages of evolution based on their temperature and brightness).
• These objects typically reside within dense molecular clouds rich in gas and interstellar material.
• Formation: YSOs form from the collapse of dense molecular clouds, triggered by events like nearby supernova explosions, stellar radiation, or turbulence in the interstellar medium.
• Types: There are two principal kinds of YSOs: Protostars and Pre-main sequence stars.

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Stages of Young Stellar Objects

• Class 0 and Class I phases: These are mostly visible in infrared and radio wavelengths due to their thick dust envelopes.
• Class II and Class III: In this phase the object becomes visible in optical wavelengths as it clears away its surrounding envelope.

Significance of studying Young Stellar Objects

• Understanding Star Formation: They provide insights into the processes that lead to star formation, including magnetic activity, stellar winds, and outflows.
• Planet Formation: They help in understanding the conditions that lead to planet formation and the early solar system.

Source: PIB