The Physics of Star Formation Feedback and Molecular Cloud Destruction

当恒星在星际气体云中形成时，星光改变了这些云的能量和化学成分。每一颗新星都能以不同的方式改变云层。一些恒星摧毁了云层，而另一些恒星可能会压缩云层以开始形成新的恒星。在某些情况下，连锁反应会产生许多新星。巨大的能量增加导致了恒星形成星系中壮观的、大规模的物质外流。研究人员将对导致恒星形成的星系的变化进行建模。他们将使用一种创新的数学方法来分析我们银河系中的恒星形成区域。研究人员的主要目标是更好地了解这些星-云相互作用发生的机制。这项工作的结果将指导我们对恒星形成星系的理解。研究人员将指导有前途的本科生，这些学生将参加弗吉尼亚-北卡罗来纳少数群体参与联盟在弗吉尼亚大学的暑期研究项目。主要研究人员和合作者将使用最先进的辐射磁流体程序来执行数值模拟，对恒星形成反馈的各种机制进行建模。数值模拟将侧重于大质量恒星产生的辐射所起的作用。这将包括模拟周围气体的加热和电离，以及嵌入气体中的尘埃上的辐射压力。研究人员将研究星团在形成和演化过程中如何影响自身的气体供应。免费的模拟将探索更大的尺度，并试图限制辐射在支持分子气云抵御引力崩塌方面所起的作用(如果有的话)。其他模拟将着眼于辐射和超新星在启动和加速星系规模的原子和分子气体外流中所起的作用。如上所述，研究人员将指导弗吉尼亚大学有前途的本科生。学生将通过积极参与拟议的研究来发展技能并获得天体物理和高性能计算方面的经验。一名研究生将从这个项目中发展他们的论文。

When stars form in clouds of interstellar gas, the starlight changes the energy and chemistry of these clouds. Each new star can change the clouds in different ways. Some stars destroy the clouds, while others may compress clouds to start formation of new stars. In some cases, a chain reaction creates many new stars. The huge energy increase leads to spectacular, large scale, outflows of material from star forming galaxies. The investigators will model the changes to galaxies resulting for star formation. They will use an innovative mathematical method to analyze star forming regions in our galaxy. The investigator's primary goal is to better understand the mechanisms through which these star-cloud interactions occur. The results of this work will guide our understanding of star forming galaxies. The investigator will mentor promising undergraduate students who are participating in the Virginia-North Carolina Alliance for Minority Participation's Summer Research Program at the University of Virginia.The principal investigator and collaborators will use a state-of-the-art radiation magneto-hydrodynamics code to perform numerical simulations that model various mechanisms for star formation feedback. The numerical simulations will focus on the role played by the radiation produced by massive stars. This will include modeling the heating and ionization of the surrounding gas, as well as radiation pressure forces on dust embedded in the gas. The investigators will study how a star cluster affects its own gas supply as it forms and evolves. Complimentary simulations will explore larger scales and attempt to constrain what role, if any, radiation plays in supporting molecular gas clouds against gravitational collapse. Other simulations will look at the role radiation and supernova play in launching and accelerating galaxy scale outflows of atomic and molecular gas.As mentioned above, the investigator will mentor promising undergraduate students at the University of Virginia. The students will develop skills and gain experience in astrophysics and high performance computing by actively participating in the proposed research. One graduate student will develop their thesis from this project.