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Theories for massive star formation

Most astronomers agree that the Sun, like many smaller stars, formed after cloud material collapsed to form a protostar, under the influence of gravity. The material was funnelled onto the protostar from an equatorial disk, accompanied by outflowing jets of excess material that could not quite make it to the protostellar surface. However, massive stars are so large and so bright, it’s possible that they form in a different way. The brighter the star, the more resistance infalling gas meets - the effect of "radiation pressure." The impact could change everything, but no one is sure. Scientists have put forward a number of different theories to explain how they form.

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Spherical Infall

artist's impression of the spherical infall model
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Disk & Outflow

artist's impression of the disk and outflow model
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Collisions

artist's impression of the low mass colliding stars model

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. (NSF AST 0507478). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.