Related papers: Molecular signals from primordial clouds at high r…
Galaxy clusters and groups are thought to accrete material along the preferred direction of cosmic filaments. Yet these structures have proven difficult to detect due to their low contrast with few studies focusing on cluster infall…
Aims: We derive the probability density functions (PDFs) of column density for a complete sample of prominent molecular cloud complexes closer than 200 pc. Methods: We derive near-infrared dust extinction maps for 23 molecular cloud…
We discuss molecular cloud formation by large-scale supersonic compressions in the diffuse warm neutral medium (WNM). Initially, a shocked layer forms, and within it, a thin cold layer. An analytical model and high-resolution 1D simulations…
The fragmentation of filaments in molecular clouds has attracted a lot of attention as there seems to be a relation between the evolution of filaments and star formation. The study of the fragmentation process has been motivated by simple…
We discuss various aspects of centimeter and millimeter wavelength continuum and line observations of high redshift star forming galaxies. Perhaps the most important lesson is that sensitive observations at submm through cm wavelengths…
The formation of the first galaxies at redshifts z~10-15 signaled the transition from the simple initial state of the universe to one of ever increasing complexity. We here review recent progress in understanding their assembly process with…
For a complete picture of galaxy cluster formation, it is important that we start probing the early epoch of z~2-7 during which clusters and their galaxies first began to form. Because the study of these so-called "proto-clusters" is…
We compare the highly clustered populations of very high redshift galaxies with proto-clusters identified numerically in a standard $\Lambda$CDM universe ($\Omega_0=0.3, \lambda_0=0.7$) simulation. We evolve 256^3 dark matter particles in a…
In the last years, progress has been very rapid in the domain of molecules at high redshift, and we know in better detail now the molecular and dust content in several systems beyond z=1 and up to z = 5. The first discovery in 1992 by Brown…
The study of primordial chemistry of molecules adresses a number of interesting questions pertaining to the thermal balance of collapsing molecular protoclouds. In numerous astrophysical cases molecular cooling and heating influence…
Cosmic background radiation, both diffuse and discrete in nature, produced at different cosmic epochs before and after recombination, provides key information on the evolution of cosmic structures. We discuss the main classes of sources…
We present results from the first three-dimensional calculations ever to follow the collapse of a molecular cloud core (~ 10^{-18} g cm^{-3}) to stellar densities (> 0.01 g cm^{-3}). The calculations resolve structures over 7 orders of…
The evolution of molecular clouds in galactic centres is thought to differ from that in galactic discs due to a significant influence of the external gravitational potential. We present a set of numerical simulations of molecular clouds…
The first dark matter halos form by direct collapse from peaks in the matter density field, and evidence from numerical simulations and other analyses suggests that the dense inner regions of these objects largely persist today. These halos…
The isothermal gravitational collapse and fragmentation of a region within a molecular cloud and the subsequent formation of a protostellar cluster is investigated numerically. The clump mass spectrum which forms during the fragmentation…
Most of our knowledge regarding molecular clouds and the early stages of star formation stems from molecular spectral-line observations. However, the various chemical and radiative-transfer effects, in combination with projection effects,…
The fragmentation of molecular cloud cores a factor of 1.1 denser than the critical Bonnor-Ebert sphere is examined though three-dimensional numerical simulations. A nested grid is employed to resolve fine structure down to 1 AU while…
The clustering properties of clusters, galaxies and AGN as a function of redshift are briefly discussed. It appears that extremely red objects at z ~ 1, and objects with J-K > 1.7 and photometric redshifts 2 < z_phot < 4 are highly…
Globular clusters will be present at high redshifts, near the very beginning of the galaxy formation process. Stellar evolution ensures that they will be much more luminous than today. We show that the redshift distribution at nano-Jansky…
Using self-gravitational hydrodynamical numerical simulations, we investigated the evolution of high-density turbulent molecular clouds swept by a colliding flow. The interaction of shock waves due to turbulence produces networks of thin…