The Digital Press

The PRIMAger instrument aboard the proposed PRIMA satellite will map polarized dust emission across hundreds of square degrees in the Milky Way with high resolution, unveiling magnetic field structures. This will allow unprecedented study of how magnetic fields influence the formation and evolution of interstellar filaments and star formation.

Why it matters: It enables the first large-scale, detailed mapping of Galactic magnetic fields affecting star-forming filaments.

The big picture: Understanding magnetic fields helps explain the processes shaping dense interstellar medium and star formation efficiency.

Stunning stat: PRIMAger can map 720 square degrees of the Galactic Plane at sub-arcminute resolution in about 1200 hours.

The stakes: Without such detailed magnetic field data, models of filament evolution and star formation remain incomplete and uncertain.