How Dynamic is Star Formation in a Dynamical Time?

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Dr. Goodman and her collaborators will use large scale surveys of stars, dust, and gas in star forming regions to test and constrain theories of dynamical star formation. The motivating goal of the project is to assess the physical importance of dynamic interactions between and among star-forming gas and stars, under a variety of physical conditions. Positions, velocities and space-densities of gaseous structures and stars throughout three large molecular cloud complexes will be determined and studied to assess the likelihood of several kinds of potentially significant interactions as functions of time and energy. The COMPLETE Survey of star forming regions, being led by the PI, will provide the necessary data along with upcoming Spitzer Infrared Telescope Facility and several recent and upcoming ground-based surveys. The COMPLETE data are being made available to the community as soon as they are taken and verified. The PI will continue to be active in giving public lectures on COMPLETE and her new work. In addition to postdoctoral researchers and graduate students working on COMPLETE, undergraduate and high school students have been involved.