What two primary energetic outputs sculpt the morphology of young Emission Nebulae (H II regions)?
Answer
Radiation pressure and powerful stellar winds.
Emission Nebulae, regions of active star formation dominated by young, massive stars, are shaped violently by the output of these luminous residents. One critical force is radiation pressure, which is the sheer outward physical force exerted by the intense ultraviolet light generated by the young stars, pushing the surrounding gas away from the energy source. The second major agent involves powerful stellar winds—streams of charged particles—which behave like cosmic sandblasters, effectively carving out large caverns and voids within the dense material of the parent cloud.
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