Characterizing magnetized turbulence in molecular clouds and galaxies

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How do galaxies form? How do planets form? Where do we come form? Are we really made of stardust? Although these questions deal with subjects of vastly different scales (i.e., the galactic, planetary, human, and microscopic scales), they are all linked together through two common themes: origins and stars. The origin of the stars themselves, however, is arguably the single most important topic that underlies these and other fundamental astrophysical questions. As stars form they acquire the characteristics that will determine how they will live their life, affect their galactic neighbourhood, and ultimately die. The problem of understanding the different processes and phases of star formation is central to obtaining a better and bigger picture of the working of the Galaxy and the Universe as a whole. This research program proposes to attack the problem of star formation by studying molecular clouds within our Galaxy. These aggregates of dust and gas are not only the birthplace of stars, but also constitute one the main components of our Galaxy. Because of their fundamental position in the time line that spans the life of stars, a study of molecular clouds is also a study of star formation. The program will concentrate on two of the agents and phenomena that are known to inhabit these structures and participate in the star formation process: the interstellar magnetic field and gas turbulence. This research program will also focus on the characterization of magnetized turbulence in galaxies in general. This will help us better understand their dynamics and evolution by observationally determining such fundamental parameters as the scale at which energy is injected within a galaxy. As a result, this program will within only a few years provide a wealth of new data that will significantly improve our understanding of many aspects of the star formation process and the nature of magnetized turbulence in galaxies.