The Formation of Prestellar Cores in the ISM

恒星前核心是密集的引力束缚物体，年轻的恒星系统就是从这些物体中诞生的，它们标志着ISM和恒星形成过程的开始之间的边界。由于这些核心代表了恒星形成的“初始条件”，对它们的性质的研究已经成为广泛的观测调查的焦点，例如赫歇尔的研究。解释这些数据是极其困难的，因为观测得到的信息远远超出了上一代恒星形成模拟的预测能力。在这个项目中，我们将首次对前星核的形成和演化进行全面的数值研究，这些研究可以与观测数据进行自我比较。我们采用了一种新的方法来模拟形成前恒星核心的分子云，该方法耦合了自重、磁流体动力学、含时化学和解释ISM中主要加热和冷却过程的热模型。精确的热力学和化学模型将使我们能够通过观察来检查恒星前核心的形成。该项目将解决关键的公开问题，例如确定这些核心形成的速度有多快，以及什么物理过程管理它们的属性。我们最先进的模型套件将通过在线数据库向更广泛的社区提供，为当前和即将进行的观测调查提供独特的参考。

Prestellar cores, the dense gravitationally bound objects out of which young stellar systems are born, mark the boundary between the ISM and the onset of the star formation process. Since these cores represent the ‘initial conditions’ for star formation, the study of their properties has become the focus of extensive observational surveys e.g. with Herschel. Interpreting these data is extremely difficult, since the observations yield information that is significantly beyond the predictive power of the previous generation of star formation simulations. In this project, we will make the first comprehensive numerical study of the formation and evolution of prestellar cores that can be self-consistently compared to the observational data. We adopt a new approach to modelling the molecular clouds in which prestellar cores form, which couples self-gravity, magnetohydrodynamics, time-dependent chemistry and a thermal model that accounts for the main heating and cooling processes in the ISM. The accurate thermodynamics and chemical modelling will allow us to examine prestellar core formation as it would be seen through observations. The project will address key open questions, such as establishing how quickly these cores form and what physical processes govern their properties. Our state-of-the-art suite of models will be made available to the wider community via online databases, providing a unique reference for current and upcoming observational surveys.