Reporters from the Shanghai Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have learned that recently, the research team led by the Observatory relied on the Attacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Wave Array Telescope (ALMA) and combined with the observations of large-scale radio telescope (VLA) astronomical measurements, successfully revealed the complete process of gas flow from large-scale to small-scale in the mass star formation zone.

Massive stars with masses greater than eight times the mass of the sun play a decisive role in the evolution of the universe. They profoundly change the physical and chemical properties of the interstellar medium through strong radiation, stellar wind and ultimately supernova explosion, thus promoting the formation and evolution of galaxy structure. However, unlike the formation path of "single cell collapse" of small-mass stars, massive stars often form in large-scale, complex and highly dynamic gas environments. Studying how gas is gradually transported from large scale to small scale and forms accretion disk around massive protostar is the core topic of massive star formation research at present.

The research team conducted multidimensional high-resolution observations of massive star formation zones in IRAS 18134-1942, systematically revealing a compound system of ¡°scoring arms ¨C bars ¨C rotating envelopes ¨C accumulating discs¡±: this is the first time ever to reveal a complete layer-based system of gases that are interconnected simultaneously in a single massive cluster of gas, with a striking resemblance to a bar.

The findings suggest that the internal structure of massive molecular cloud clusters is not simple or disorderly, but can present a highly sequential structure similar to a spherical galaxy.The study provides key observational evidence for how massive stars accumulate mass and form an accumulation disc in complex environments.

(President of the Central Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan)