Not exact matches
A
molecular cloud is an interstellar
cloud of dust, gas, and a variety of molecules ranging from
molecular hydrogen (H2) to complex, carbon - containing organics.
Molecular hydrogen cools gas
clouds, helping them contract and form stars.
Since stars are born when dense
clouds of
hydrogen molecules collapse, the rate of star formation and the availability of
molecular hydrogen, the fuel for star formation, are inextricably linked.
Its source appears to be a glowing
cloud of warm
molecular hydrogen, in the spiral galaxy Messier 83.
The cosmos as we know it started to take shape when atoms and ions paired up to form
molecular hydrogen, which expelled heat out of the gas
clouds, allowing them to cool down enough to form the first stars.
Detailed radio maps of nearby
molecular clouds reveal that they are clumpy, with regions containing a wide range of densities — from a few tens of molecules (mostly
hydrogen) per cubic centimetre to more than one million.
ILL scientist and carbon nanostructure specialist, Stéphane Rols says: «The question of how
molecular hydrogen forms at the low temperatures in interstellar
clouds has always been a driver in astrochemistry research.