The Formation of Prestellar Cores in the ISM

ISM 中的恒星核心的形成

• 批准号: 203329675
• 负责人: Dr. Paul Campbell Clark
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Institut für Theoretische Astrophysik
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Priority Programmes
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2010-12-31 至 2014-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/203329675?language=en
• 关键词: Formation; Prestellar; Cores; ISM

Prestellar cores, the dense gravitationally bound objects out of which young stellar systems are born, mark the boundary between the ISM and the onset of the star formation process. Since these cores represent the ‘initial conditions’ for star formation, the study of their properties has become the focus of extensive observational surveys e.g. with Herschel. Interpreting these data is extremely difficult, since the observations yield information that is significantly beyond the predictive power of the previous generation of star formation simulations. In this project, we will make the first comprehensive numerical study of the formation and evolution of prestellar cores that can be self-consistently compared to the observational data. We adopt a new approach to modelling the molecular clouds in which prestellar cores form, which couples self-gravity, magnetohydrodynamics, time-dependent chemistry and a thermal model that accounts for the main heating and cooling processes in the ISM. The accurate thermodynamics and chemical modelling will allow us to examine prestellar core formation as it would be seen through observations. The project will address key open questions, such as establishing how quickly these cores form and what physical processes govern their properties. Our state-of-the-art suite of models will be made available to the wider community via online databases, providing a unique reference for current and upcoming observational surveys.

恒星前的核心是由稠密的引力束缚的物体，年轻的恒星系统就是在这里诞生的，它标志着ISM和恒星形成过程开始之间的界限。由于这些核心代表了恒星形成的“初始条件”，因此对其性质的研究已成为广泛观测调查的焦点，例如与赫歇尔。解释这些数据是极其困难的，因为观测所得的信息远远超出了上一代恒星形成模拟的预测能力。在这个项目中，我们将首次对恒星前核的形成和演化进行全面的数值研究，这些研究可以与观测数据进行自一致的比较。我们采用了一种新的方法来模拟恒星前核心形成的分子云，它耦合了自重力、磁流体动力学、时间依赖化学和热模型，该模型解释了ISM中主要的加热和冷却过程。精确的热力学和化学模型将使我们能够通过观测来研究恒星前核心的形成。该项目将解决关键的开放性问题，例如确定这些核心形成的速度以及控制其性质的物理过程。我们最先进的模型套件将通过在线数据库提供给更广泛的社区，为当前和即将进行的观测调查提供独特的参考。