The Formation of Prestellar Cores in the ISM

• Applicant: Dr. Paul Campbell Clark
• Subject Area: Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Term: from 2011 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 203329675

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.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1573: Physics of the Interstellar Medium