Astrophysical Processes in the ISM

星系是如何形成的？行星是如何形成的？我们从哪里来？我们真的是由星尘组成的吗？尽管这些问题涉及的是非常不同尺度的主题(即银河系、行星、人类和微观尺度)，但它们都通过统治和组织宇宙的不同天体物理过程联系在一起。 然而，恒星本身的起源可以说是构成这些和其他基本天体物理问题的唯一最重要的话题。当恒星形成时，他们获得的特征将决定他们将如何生活，影响他们的银河系邻居，并最终死亡。理解恒星形成的不同过程和阶段的问题，对于更好、更广泛地了解银河系和整个宇宙的运行情况是至关重要的。 这项研究计划提出通过研究分子云和银河系内其他区域发生的天体物理过程来解决包括恒星形成在内的问题。分子云是尘埃和气体的聚集体，是恒星的诞生地，也是我们银河系的主要组成部分之一。由于它们在跨越恒星生命的时间线上的基本位置，对分子云及其所蕴藏的过程的研究也是对恒星形成的研究。该计划将专注于两种已知存在于这些结构中的作用力和现象：星际磁场和气体湍流，以及原子、分子和辐射之间的基本小规模相互作用。预计在短短几年内将提供丰富的新数据，这些数据将显著提高我们对星际介质和恒星形成过程的许多方面的了解。

How do galaxies form? How do planets form? Where do we come from? 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 the different astrophysical processes that rule and organize the cosmos. 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 problems, including star formation, by studying the astrophysical processes that take place in molecular clouds and other regions within our Galaxy. Molecular clouds are aggregates of dust and gas that serve as the birthplace of stars, while also constituting one of 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, and the processes they harbour, 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: the interstellar magnetic field and gas turbulence, as well as fundamental small-scale interactions between atoms, molecules, and radiation. It is expected within only a few years to provide a wealth of new data that will significantly improve our understanding of many aspects of the interstellar medium and the star formation process.