Related papers: Stellar evolution before the ZAMS

The status of the art for evolutionary models of low mass, population II stars is revisited, stressing the need for the models to be preliminarily tested with suitable observational data. The uncertainties still affecting the theory are…

A model of protostar mass and luminosity evolution in clusters gives new estimates of cluster age, protostar birthrate, accretion rate and mean accretion time. The model assumes constant protostar birthrate, core-clump accretion, and…

Eclipsing binaries with M-type components are still rare objects. Strong observational biases have made that today only a few eclipsing binaries with component masses below 0.6 Msun and well-determined fundamental properties are known.…

Dark Stars are the very first phase of stellar evolution in the history of the universe: the first stars to form (typically at redshifts $z \sim 10-50$) are powered by heating from dark matter (DM) annihilation instead of fusion (if the DM…

A significant step forward in the understanding of Planetary Nebula (PN) formation can be achieved by exploring the connection of PN with stellar evolution. In particular, the initial mass of the star plays a crucial role, as it determines…

While the modern stellar IMF shows a rapid decline with increasing mass, theoretical investigations suggest that very massive stars (>100 solar masses) may have been abundant in the early universe. Other calculations also indicate that,…

In this review I briefly discuss the theory of pre-main-sequence (PMS) Li depletion in low-mass (0.075<M<1.2 Msun) stars and highlight those uncertain parameters which lead to substantial differences in model predictions. I then summarise…

We briefly review the observational and theoretical investigations on Very Low Mass (VLM) stars. New evolutionary computations, extending toward the lower main sequence previous computations already given for globular cluster stars, are…

High precision photometry and spectroscopy of low-mass stars reveal a variety of properties standard stellar evolution cannot predict. Rotation, an essential ingredient of stellar evolution, is a step towards resolving the discrepancy…

Massive stars (with mass m_* > 8 solar masses) are fundamental to the evolution of galaxies, because they produce heavy elements, inject energy into the interstellar medium, and possibly regulate the star formation rate. The individual star…

The final mass of a newborn star is set at the epoch when the mass accretion onto the star is terminated. We study the evolution of accreting protostars and the limits of accretion in low metallicity environments. Accretion rates onto…

Despite the revolution in our knowledge resulting from the detection of planets around mature stars, we know almost nothing about planets orbiting young stars because rapid rotation and active photospheres preclude detection by radial…

Star formation has often been studied by separating the low- and high-mass regimes with an approximate boundary at 8M_sun. While some of the outcomes of the star-formation process are different between the two regimes, it is less clear…

Growing evidence shows that most stars in the Milky Way, including the Sun, are born in high-mass star-forming regions, but due to both observational and theoretical challenges, our understanding of their chemical evolution is much less…

Major photometric monitoring campaigns of star-forming regions in the past decade have provided rich rotation period distributions of pre-main-sequence stars. The rotation periods span more than an order of magnitude in period, with most…

I review theoretical models of star formation and how they apply across the stellar mass spectrum. Several distinct theories are under active study for massive star formation, especially Turbulent Core Accretion, Competitive Accretion and…

The dramatic size evolution of early-type galaxies from z ~ 2 to 0 poses a new challenge in the theory of galaxy formation, which may not be explained by the standard picture. It is shown here that the size evolution can be explained if the…

The understanding and modeling of the structure and evolution of stars is based on statistical physics as well as on hydrodynamics. Today, a precise identification and proper description of the physical processes at work in stellar…

We assess the impact of starspots on the evolution of late-type stars during the pre-main sequence (pre-MS) using a modified stellar evolution code. We find that heavily spotted models of mass 0.1-1.2\msun\ are inflated by up to $10$%…

During this last decade our knowledge of the evolutionary properties of stars has significantly improved. This result has been achieved thanks to our improved understanding of the physical behavior of stellar matter in the thermal regimes…