Related papers: Triggered star formation in expanding shells
Most stars form in compact, dense embedded clusters with memberships ranging from a dozen stars to many millions of stars. Embedded clusters containing more than a few hundred stars also contain O stars that disrupt the nebula abruptly.…
Accretion disks that become gravitationally unstable can fragment into stellar or sub-stellar companions. The formation and survival of these fragments depends on the precarious balance between self-gravity, internal pressure, tidal…
Massive young stellar clusters are strong sources of radiation and mechanical energy. Their powerful winds and radiation pressure sweep-up interstellar gas into thin expanding shells which trap the ionizing radiation produced by the central…
To make predictions for the existence of ``dark galaxies'', it is necessary to understand what determines whether a gas cloud will form stars. Star formation thresholds are generally explained in terms of the Toomre criterion for…
We propose a simple theoretical model for star formation in which the local star formation rate in a galaxy is determined by three factors. First, the interplay between the interstellar radiation field and molecular self-shielding…
We present a detailed study of star formation occurring in bound star--forming clouds under the influence of internal ionizing feedback from massive stars across a spectrum of cloud properties. We infer which objects are triggered by…
Understanding planetesimal formation is an essential first step to understanding planet formation. The distribution of these first solid bodies will drive the locations where planetary embryos can grow. We seek to understand the parameter…
(ABBREVIATED) Understanding the formation of stars in galaxies is central to much of modern astrophysics. In this review the relation between interstellar turbulence and star formation is discussed. Supersonic turbulence can provide support…
We conduct a series of magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) simulations of magnetized interstellar medium (ISM) disturbed by exploding stars. Each star deposits a randomly oriented, dipolar magnetic field into ISM. The simulations are performed in a…
Context. The model of disc fragmentation due to gravitational instabilities offers an alternate formation mechanism for gas giant planets, especially those on wide orbits. Aims. Our goal is to determine the 3D structure of disc-instability…
We discuss the stability of galactic disks in which the energy of interstellar clouds is gained in encounters with expanding supernova remnants and lost in inelastic collisions. Energy gain and loss processes introduce a phase difference…
The fractal structure of star formation on large scales in disk galaxies is studied using the size distribution function of stellar aggregates in kpc-scale star fields. Achival HST images of 10 galaxies are Gaussian smoothed to define the…
The onset of star formation is set by the collapse of filaments in the interstellar medium. From a theoretical point of view, an isolated cylindrical filament forms cores via the edge effect. Due to the self-gravity of a filament, the…
We combine previously published interferometric and single-dish data of relatively nearby massive dense cores that are actively forming stars to test whether their `fragmentation level' is controlled by turbulent or thermal support. We find…
Massive stars form in clusters within self-gravitating molecular clouds. The size scale of these clusters is sufficiently large that non-thermal, or turbulent, motions of the gas must be taken into account when considering their formation.…
The role of feedback from massive stars is believed to be a key element in the evolution of molecular clouds. We use high-resolution 3D SPH simulations to explore the dynamical effects of a single O7 star located at the centre of a…
We use direct $N$-body calculations to investigate the impact of primordial mass segregation on the size scale and mass-loss rate of star clusters in a galactic tidal field. We run a set of simulations of clusters with varying degrees of…
Modelling global disc galaxies is a difficult task which has previously resulted in the small scale physics of the interstellar medium being greatly simplified. In this talk, I compare simulations of galaxies with different ISM properties…
Magnetic fields are an elemental part of the interstellar medium in galaxies. However, their impact on gas dynamics and star formation in galaxies remains controversial. We use a suite of global magnetohydrodynamical simulations of isolated…
Extragalactic starbursts induced by gravitational interactions can now be studied from z = ~0 to ~2. The evidence that mergers of gas-rich galaxies tend to trigger galaxy-wide starbursts is strong, both statistically and in individual cases…