Abstract
Although massive stars (commonly defined as those in excess of about eight solar masses, or with initial luminosities of a thousand times the solar luminosity or more) have an enormous impact on the galactic environment, how they form has been a mystery. The solution probably involves the existence of accretion disks. Rotational motions have been found in the gas surrounding young high-mass stars, which suggests that non-spherical accretion could be the fundamental ingredient of the massive-star formation recipe.
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We thank M. Felli for a critical reading of the manuscript.
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Cesaroni, R., Galli, D., Lodato, G. et al. The critical role of disks in the formation of high-mass stars. Nature 444, 703–706 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05344
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05344
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