Researchers from Kyushu University have discovered that diffuse gas surrounding dense filaments in a nearby stellar nursery plays a much larger role in star formation than previously recognized. By tracking the movement of gas in the Monoceros R2 hub–filament system, the team found that low-density gas contributes to hub growth both through direct inflow and by replenishing nearby dense filaments. Their findings show that overlooking this diffuse gas could substantially underestimate the amount of material available to build massive stars.

Stars form inside interstellar clouds of gas and dust, but the process is far from well understood. Within these clouds, long, threadlike structures known as filaments often converge into dense central regions called hubs, where clusters of stars and the most massive stars are born. Previous studies have shown that dense gas travels along these filaments into the hub. However, much less is known about the lower-density gas that fills the spaces between the filaments, leaving an incomplete picture of how these stellar nurseries gather enough material to sustain star formation.

Tracing gas beyond the filaments In the present study, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on June 10, 2026, a team led by assistant professor Jihye Hwang of Kyushu University’s Institute for Advanced Study worked with associate professor Doris Arzoumanian to investigate gas motions in the Monoceros R2 hub–filament system. Using observations of the carbon monoxide isotopes 13CO and C18O from the Nobeyama 45-m radio telescope, operated by Nobeyama Radio Observatory, a branch of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, the researchers identified three dense filaments and three inter-filament regions and measured gas motions toward the hub and neighboring filaments.

Scientists using NASA’s IXPE (Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer) conducted more than 140 hours of observations of the magnetar 1E 1547–5408 between March and April 2025 alongside NASA’s NICER (Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer) and Murriyang, CSIRO’s Parkes radio telescope, owned and operated by Australia’s national science agency. This was the first-ever coordinated radio and X-ray polarization measurement of a magnetar.

1E 1547–5408, spinning in a full rotation every 2 seconds, is a unique magnetar that consistently emits bright radio energy and X-ray light, for reasons scientists are still trying to understand.

Observations showed the polarization, or the orientation and level of alignment of the incoming photons, is nearly three times greater than seen in similar sources. This high level of polarization was surprising, since the geometry of the magnetar’s magnetic fields suggest that the measurements we see should be close to zero at certain points in the star. Standard surface emission models do not explain this large value either, indicating that another effect must be boosting the polarization.

Photovoltaic panels generate electricity, solar thermal collectors provide heat, while cooling is usually supplied by air conditioning systems that themselves consume electricity. As a result, buildings require different technologies competing for the limited space available on roofs and facades.

A solution developed by a team led by Dr. Gan Huang at KIT’s Institute of Microstructure Technology, by contrast, simultaneously provides cooling, electricity and heating from a single surface. This hybrid PDRC-solar system combines photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies with passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC). The researchers see applications wherever cooling and energy are required simultaneously.

The study is published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science.