Key to measuring stars' age lies in acoustic vibrations

Young stars can be distinguished from adolescent stars by measuring their acoustic vibrations using ultrasound technology similar to that used in the field of medicine, according to the researchers.

Konstanze Zwintz, a postdoctoral researcher at KU Leuven's Institute for Astronomy said that their data showed that the youngest stars vibrated slower while the stars nearer to adulthood vibrate faster.

Zwintz asserted that a star's mass had a major impact on its development and stars with a smaller mass evolved slower whereas, heavy stars grew faster and aged more quickly.

Acoustic vibrations i.e. sound waves were produced by radiation pressure inside stars.

Zwintz said that they now had model that more precisely measured the age of young stars and they were now also able to subdivide young stars according to their various life phases.

The research is published in the journal Science.