Overview
- An MPIfR-led team reports the peer-reviewed results in Astronomy & Astrophysics using JWST’s MIRI spectrometer.
- The ultraviolet influence is inferred from unusually strong molecular emission lines near the young objects.
- Similar signatures across all targets despite differing surroundings led researchers to reject nearby hot stars as the source.
- The UV must arise within the protostellar environments, with the physical mechanism still unresolved.
- Planned JWST observations will probe gas, dust and ice in the Ophiuchus cloud about 450 light-years away to identify the cause and refine models.