The critical role of disks in the formation of high-mass stars

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.