Some of the galaxy's most spectacular stellar nurseries resemble giant cosmic wagon wheels, with spoke-like structures that scientists say were sculpted by shockwaves from stellar explosions and powerful stellar winds.
Using powerful 3D simulations, researchers from Kyushu University and Nagoya University in Japan found that shockwaves racing through giant clouds of gas can carve out the spoke-like filaments often seen surrounding newborn stars. The findings could help explain the origin of so-called hub-filament systems — sprawling star-forming regions where long streams of gas radiate toward a dense central hub, creating a pattern that resembles the spokes of a wheel, according to a statement from Kyushu University.
