Star Formation: Lessons from Taurus
Abstract
The Taurus molecular cloud complex is the paradigm for quiescent, low-density, isolated star formation. Yet the age distribution of its stellar population indicates that star formation is a rapid and dynamic process, inconsistent with the old picture of magnetically-controlled protostellar cloud collapse. Instead, Taurus seems to have formed stars in a manner qualitatively consistent with the rapid cloud formation and dispersal inferred for other, higher-density star-forming regions. I suggest that the Taurus clouds were formed rapidly by the collision of atomic gas streams in the interstellar medium, and that star formation ensued immediately afterward.
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0001125,
title = {Star Formation: Lessons from Taurus},
author = {Lee Hartmann},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0001125},
year = {2007}
}
Comments
10 pages, 3 figures, Proceedings of 33rd ESLAB Symposium, "Star formation from the small to the large scale", F. Favata, A.A. Kaas, and A. Wilson eds., ESA SP-445