First Detection of Magnetism in Massive Stars Beyond Our Galaxy

New findings reveal magnetic fields in three massive stars in the Magellanic Clouds, shedding light on the influence of magnetism on stellar evolution and the formation of neutron stars and black holes. The use of advanced spectropolarimetry techniques was crucial to overcome past observational challenges.

Magnetic fields have been discovered in three massive, hot stars within our neighboring galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, for the first time. Although magnetic fields in massive stars are not new to our own galaxy, their detection in the Magellanic Clouds is particularly significant due to the abundance of young, massive stars in these galaxies. This discovery offers a rare chance to investigate actively forming stars and explore the maximum mass a star can achieve while maintaining stability.