SPP 471: Physik der Sternentstehung

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In the priority programme "Physics of Star Formation", astronomers, astrophysicists, astrochemists and scientists performing numerical computations work together in order to find out how stars and stellar clusters form from cool interstellar molecular clouds. Protostars are deeply embedded in dusty molecular cores and young stars are associated with circumstellar dust disks and extended envelopes. Therefore, infrared and submillimeter continuum and line observations play a key role for our understanding of star formation. This process is characterised by large temperature and density gradients and involves turbulence, magnetic fields, rotation, collapse and outflow process as well as radiation transfer on different scales. Large-scale numerical computations form an important part of the programme. In addition, microphysical processes such as heating and cooling and chemical processes are of key importance to star formation. The complexity of the topic requires the collaboration of groups with very different scientific background.