The Interstellar Medium and Star Formation

Author(s):  
J. Lequeux
2004 ◽  
Vol 217 ◽  
pp. 220-221
Author(s):  
L. Verdes-Montenegro ◽  
J. Sulentic ◽  
D. Espada ◽  
S. Leon ◽  
U. Lisenfeld ◽  
...  

We are constructing the first complete unbiased control sample of the most isolated galaxies of the northern sky to serve as a template in the study of star formation and galaxy evolution in denser environments. Our goal is to compare and quantify the properties of different phases of the interstellar medium in this sample, as well as the level of star formation, both relevant parameters in the internal evolution of galaxies and strongly conditioned by the environment. To achieve this goal we are building a multiwavelength database for this sample to compare and quantify the properties of different phases of the ISM.


2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S294) ◽  
pp. 325-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blakesley Burkhart ◽  
Alex Lazarian

AbstractMagnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence is a critical component of the current paradigms of star formation, dynamo theory, particle transport, magnetic reconnection and evolution of the ISM. In order to gain understanding of how MHD turbulence regulates processes in the Galaxy, a confluence of numerics, observations and theory must be imployed. In these proceedings we review recent progress that has been made on the connections between theoretical, numerical, and observational understanding of MHD turbulence as it applies to both the neutral and ionized interstellar medium.


2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (S237) ◽  
pp. 358-362
Author(s):  
M. K. Ryan Joung ◽  
Mordecai-Mark Mac Low

AbstractWe report on a study of interstellar turbulence driven by both correlated and isolated supernova explosions. We use three-dimensional hydrodynamic models of a vertically stratified interstellar medium run with the adaptive mesh refinement code Flash at a maximum resolution of 2 pc, with a grid size of 0.5 × 0.5 × 10 kpc. Cold dense clouds form even in the absence of self-gravity due to the collective action of thermal instability and supersonic turbulence. Studying these clouds, we show that it can be misleading to predict physical properties such as the star formation rate or the stellar initial mass function using numerical simulations that do not include self-gravity of the gas. Even if all the gas in turbulently Jeans unstable regions in our simulation is assumed to collapse and form stars in local freefall times, the resulting total collapse rate is significantly lower than the value consistent with the input supernova rate. The amount of mass available for collapse depends on scale, suggesting a simple translation from the density PDF to the stellar IMF may be questionable. Even though the supernova-driven turbulence does produce compressed clouds, it also opposes global collapse. The net effect of supernova-driven turbulence is to inhibit star formation globally by decreasing the amount of mass unstable to gravitational collapse.


1994 ◽  
Vol 217 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 227-230
Author(s):  
Karen M. Strom ◽  
Lennart Nordh ◽  
Eli Dwek

1991 ◽  
Vol 147 ◽  
pp. 379-386
Author(s):  
A. E. Glassgold

This Symposium on fragmentation and star formation has dealt with the heart of the study of molecular clouds, which is how they form stars. This problem is one of the most profound and challenging problems in all of astrophysics. The complexity of the interstellar medium adds to its difficulty and we cannot expect a quick and easy solution. Nonetheless, the reports presented at this Symposium indicate that substantial progress is being made in this field.


1998 ◽  
Vol 179 ◽  
pp. 165-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Fukui ◽  
Y. Yonekura

We review observational results concerning star formation and dense molecular clouds, the interstellar medium most relevant to star-formation process, as well as future prospects.


1991 ◽  
Vol 148 ◽  
pp. 139-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert C. Kennicutt

The H II regions in the Magellanic Clouds provide an opportunity to characterize the global star formation properties of a galaxy at close range. They also provide a unique laboratory for testing empirical tracers of the massive star formation rates and initial mass functions in more distant galaxies, and for studying the dynamical interactions between massive stars and the interstellar medium. This paper discusses several current studies in these areas.


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