Young Stars Grow Via Violent Interactions With Protoplanetary Disks

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This infrared image 950 light-years away has an unusual variable object that has the typical signature of a protostar. NASA/ESA/J. Muzerolle/E. Furlan/K. Flaherty/Z. Balog/R. Gutermuth

Stars are born in chaotic collapsing clouds, and astronomers have now found evidence that the tumultuous times don’t stop at birth, but continue throughout their infancy.

A new study indicates that young stars may undergo an intense and messy growth process, during which they steal mass from the surrounding protoplanetary disk. The research, published in Science Advances, suggests that the growth process is not steady but intermittent, with powerful and quick mass accretion events.