CAREER: Toward a Predictive Theory of Star Formation

克鲁姆霍尔茨博士将研究宇宙中最重要、也是最不为人所知的过程之一--恒星的形成。正如在“恒星是宇宙的引擎”这一提议的项目摘要中指出的那样，恒星内部的核反应产生的能量是宇宙中唯一重要的非引力能量来源。这种能量有助于控制星系的演化、宇宙中重元素的产生和行星的形成。这个项目将试图通过解决以下三个问题来拓宽我们对恒星形成的理解：--什么决定了恒星的质量函数，它是否随环境而变化？--什么决定了恒星如何聚集，恒星形成的效率在这些环境中是如何影响的？--是什么决定了恒星形成率，它是否随着环境和/或宇宙时间的推移而变化？研究的最终目标是一个完全预测恒星形成的理论。该提议的更广泛影响集中在PI将通过教授囚犯数学和科学课程来完成的工作上。PI将为当地拘留所的囚犯提供这些课程。虽然所提供的课程与本提案中的研究没有直接联系，但这些课程将在科学界和这个服务严重不足且主要是少数族裔的社区之间产生联系。这些囚犯有机会因成功完成其中一门课程而获得大学学分。

Dr. Krumholz will study of one of the most important and least understood processes in the cosmos, the formation of stars. As noted in the project summary of this proposal "stars are the engines of the Universe", the energy produced by the nuclear reactions in the interior of stars is the only significant non-gravitational source of energy in the cosmos. This energy helps govern the evolution of galaxies, the creation of the heavy elements in the universe and the formation of planets. This project will attempt to broaden our understanding of star formation by addressing the following three questions: -- What determines the stellar mass function, and does it vary with environment?-- What determines how stars cluster, and how is the efficiency of star formation effected in these environments?-- What sets the star formation rate, and does it vary with environment and/or over cosmic time?The ultimate goal of the research is a fully predictive theory of star formation.The Broader Impacts of the proposal are centered on the work that the PI will perform by teaching prisoners math and science courses. The PI will offer these classes to inmates at a local detention facility. While the classes offered are not directly connected to the research in this proposal, these classes will produce a connection between the scientific community and this severely under served and mostly minority community. The inmates have the chance to earn college credit for successfully completing one of the classes.