Simulating the life cycle of star clusters: from birth to death in a cosmological galactic context

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Our Sun is one of several hundred billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. Most of these stars, including the Sun, likely formed inside a dense collection of stars called a star cluster. Star clusters form within massive clouds of cold, dense gas. The investigators will study where, when, and how star clusters form inside these large clouds, by using galaxy numerical simulations. These simulations include the physical ingredients - gravity, pressure, energy - to generate both realistic star formation and large-scale structures like spiral arms. The investigators will track how these spiral arms change over time and connect this to the star clusters that form in the simulations. The investigator will build on the existing Cal-Bridge program to enhance research experiences for underrepresented scholars. The investigator will involve the students in her research projects and mentor the students in research experience and career development.Most star clusters form inside spiral arms, but it is unknown if the energy released by stars in clusters destroy spiral arms in a short period of time. Some theories suggest that stars in clusters dramatically reshape gas in spiral arms through the input of energy from supernovae explosions, winds, and high energy light. The investigator is studying how these forms of energy work together, or against one another, to sculpt the gaseous spiral structure. The investigators will test how physical phenomena, like magnetohydrodynamic turbulence and cosmic rays, impact the formation and persistence of spiral structure in galaxy simulations. The investigators will unite analyses across scale by connecting the longevity of large-scale galactic structures to the number, properties, and physical distribution of small-scale star clusters within them.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.