ScienceDaily: Space & Time News

New study finds star-forming cloud's magnetic field is curiously twisted. Researchers believe a newborn star moved into another young star's stellar envelope to form a binary star system. The interloper shifted the cloud's dynamics, twisting its magnetic field. The new findings provide insight into binary star formation and how magnetic fields influence the earliest stages of developing stars.

A new study using hydrodynamical simulations reveals the forces acting on a planet when it is swallowed by an expanding star. The results show that the interactions of a substellar body (a planet or brown dwarf) with the hot gas in the outer envelope of a sun-like star can lead to a range of outcomes depending on the size of the engulfed object and the stage of the star's evolution. The dynamics and possible outcomes of planetary engulfment are poorly understood, but it is thought to be a relatively common fate for planetary systems.