The birth of stars and planetary systems

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Stars are born through the collapse of clouds in interstellar space. A by-product of the collapse is a flattened ring of gas in orbit about the newly-formed star. Eventually planets form within the ring and a planetary system is born. Magnetic forces in the clouds are strong, and so are expected to significantly affect these processes. This project aims to understand the role of magnetic fields in the formation of stars and planetary systems in order to develop accurate models that can be used to interpret observations by planned national and international astronomical facilities. The truly international nature of astronomy will allow us to enhance Australia's research visibility overseas.