The Physics of Star Formation Feedback and Molecular Cloud Destruction

当恒星在星际气体云中形成时，星光改变了这些云的能量和化学性质。 每一颗新的星星都能以不同的方式改变云层。 有些恒星会破坏云层，而另一些恒星则会压缩云层，开始形成新的恒星。 在某些情况下，连锁反应会产生许多新的恒星。巨大的能量增加导致壮观的，大规模的物质从星星形成的星系中流出。 研究人员将模拟星系的变化导致星星的形成。 他们将使用一种创新的数学方法来分析我们银河系中的星星形成区域。 研究人员的主要目标是更好地了解这些星云相互作用发生的机制。 这项工作的结果将指导我们对形成星星的星系的理解。该研究员将指导有前途的本科生谁是在弗吉尼亚大学参加少数民族参与的弗吉尼亚州-北卡罗莱纳联盟的夏季研究计划。首席研究员和合作者将使用最先进的辐射磁流体动力学代码进行数值模拟，模拟星星形成反馈的各种机制。 数值模拟将集中在大质量恒星产生的辐射所起的作用。 这将包括模拟周围气体的加热和电离，以及嵌入气体中的灰尘上的辐射压力。研究人员将研究星星团在形成和演化过程中如何影响自身的气体供应。 补充模拟将探索更大的尺度，并试图限制辐射在支持分子气体云对抗引力坍缩方面所起的作用（如果有的话）。 其他模拟将着眼于辐射和超新星在发射和加速原子和分子气体的星系尺度外流中所起的作用。如上所述，研究人员将指导弗吉尼亚大学有前途的本科生。学生将通过积极参与拟议的研究来培养技能并获得天体物理学和高性能计算方面的经验。 一名研究生将从这个项目中发展他们的论文。

When stars form in clouds of interstellar gas, the starlight changes the energy and chemistry of these clouds. Each new star can change the clouds in different ways. Some stars destroy the clouds, while others may compress clouds to start formation of new stars. In some cases, a chain reaction creates many new stars. The huge energy increase leads to spectacular, large scale, outflows of material from star forming galaxies. The investigators will model the changes to galaxies resulting for star formation. They will use an innovative mathematical method to analyze star forming regions in our galaxy. The investigator's primary goal is to better understand the mechanisms through which these star-cloud interactions occur. The results of this work will guide our understanding of star forming galaxies. The investigator will mentor promising undergraduate students who are participating in the Virginia-North Carolina Alliance for Minority Participation's Summer Research Program at the University of Virginia.The principal investigator and collaborators will use a state-of-the-art radiation magneto-hydrodynamics code to perform numerical simulations that model various mechanisms for star formation feedback. The numerical simulations will focus on the role played by the radiation produced by massive stars. This will include modeling the heating and ionization of the surrounding gas, as well as radiation pressure forces on dust embedded in the gas. The investigators will study how a star cluster affects its own gas supply as it forms and evolves. Complimentary simulations will explore larger scales and attempt to constrain what role, if any, radiation plays in supporting molecular gas clouds against gravitational collapse. Other simulations will look at the role radiation and supernova play in launching and accelerating galaxy scale outflows of atomic and molecular gas.As mentioned above, the investigator will mentor promising undergraduate students at the University of Virginia. The students will develop skills and gain experience in astrophysics and high performance computing by actively participating in the proposed research. One graduate student will develop their thesis from this project.