Massive Star Formation in Molecular Clouds

Massive stars, those exceeding eight solar masses, originate in the densest regions of molecular clouds through a complex interplay of gravity, turbulence and magnetic fields. Within giant molecular clouds, supersonic turbulence generates a network of filaments, some of which condense into hubs of enhanced density. In these hubs, self-gravity overtakes internal pressure and turbulence, driving hierarchical collapse from parsec scales down to the formation of protostellar cores. Accretion onto these cores is often channelled along filamentary structures, yielding high infall rates that enable the rapid growth required to overcome radiative feedback. As massive protostars ignite, they influence their surroundings via ionising radiation, winds and outflows, which both regulate further star formation and sculpt the natal cloud. Observations across millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths trace the kinematics, density and temperature structures of these regions, while theoretical models capture the multiscale fragmentation and competitive accretion processes. Understanding massive star formation is essential not only for stellar evolution and feedback in galaxies, but also for the enrichment of the interstellar medium and the initiation of subsequent generations of stars.

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Massive Star Formation in Molecular Clouds publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in massive star formation in molecular clouds across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Molecular cloud: A cold, dense aggregation of gas and dust where temperatures (10–20 K) allow molecules such as H₂ to form, serving as the birthplaces of stars.

Protostellar core: A compact, gravitationally bound region within a molecular cloud undergoing collapse and heating, destined to become a star.

Filament: An elongated dense structure within molecular clouds along which gas flows towards central hubs.

Centrifugal barrier: The radius at which infalling gas with angular momentum accumulates before accreting onto a central protostar or disc.

Virial parameter: The ratio of twice the kinetic energy to the gravitational potential energy; values below two indicate that gravity dominates over internal motions.

Infall rate: The mass flux of gas accreting onto a protostellar object, typically expressed in solar masses per year (M⊙ yr⁻¹).

References

1. Digging into the Interior of Hot Cores with ALMA: Spiral Accretion into the High-mass Protostellar Core G336.01–0.82. The Astrophysical Journal Letters (2023).
2. High-resolution APEX/LAsMA 12CO and 13CO (3–2) observation of the G333 giant molecular cloud complex. Astronomy & Astrophysics (2023).
3. Implication of the Velocity Dispersion Scalings on High-mass Star Formation in Molecular Clouds. The Astronomical Journal (2024).