The magnetic field is probably building a base for creative columns

For the first time, scientists have created a detailed map of the magnetic field inside the pillars, which became famous by a 1995 image of the word.

Data reveal that the magnetic field runs along the length of each pillar, perpendicular to the external magnetic field. According to astronomer Kate Pattle and colleagues on the Astrophysical Journal Letters June 10, this structure may slow down the destruction of gas and dust columns.

Creative columns probably continue to stand tall thanks to the magnetic field in the star-forming region.

Hot ionized gas is called a plasma that surrounds pillars, located in the Great State Nebula about 7,000 light-years from Earth. The pressure from that plasma gas can cause these pillars to narrow in the middle like an hourglass before breaking. However, the researchers suggest that the organization of the magnetic field in the pillars may provide an outward force against the intense attack of the plasma, preventing columns from decaying.

The team studied light emitted from pillars, measured its polarization - the swinging direction of electromagnetic waves of light - using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii. The particles in the pillars are arranged directly together due to the magnetic field. These linear particles emit polarized light, allowing researchers to trace the direction of the magnetic field at different points.

The magnetic field map in innovative columns indicates that the magnetic field seems to run in parallel with each column - (Photo from K. Pattle et al / Astrophysical Journal Letters 2018).

Koji Sugitani from Nagoya City University in Japan said: 'There are few clear measurements of magnetic fields in objects like pillars'. In order to understand the formation of such objects, more observations are needed.

Studying objects where stars are produced, like pillars, can help scientists better understand the role of magnetic fields in star formation. Pattle, from National University of Qinghua in Hsinchu, Taiwan said: 'This is really one of the big questions that has not been answered yet. We do not know whether the school is important and, if so, what they are doing. '