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| Paper: |
Theoretical Models of Massive Star Formation: Predictions for the Circumstellar Environment of Massive Stars |
| Volume: |
464, Circumstellar Dynamics at High Resolution |
| Page: |
339 |
| Authors: |
Krumholz, M. R. |
| Abstract: |
Massive star formation is a difficult problem both theoretically and observationally. On the theory side, massive stars' prodigious radiative and mechanical output dramatically alters their environment as they form, and no plausible model that seeks to account for massive star formation can neglect these effects. This necessitates consideration of physics beyond simple hydrodynamics and gravity, the only mechanisms considered in many star formation models. Observationally, massive stars are intrinsically rare and thus the nearest examples of massive star formation are much further from Earth and correspondingly harder to observe than their low mass counterparts. Moreover, massive stars are found predominantly in crowded, high extinction regions, making observations even more difficult. However, improvements in theoretical modeling have led to significant progress in our understanding of how massive stars form, and those models can now be tested using improved, high resolution observations of massive stars' circumstellar environments. In this paper I review the current state of massive star formation models, with an eye toward making predictions that can be tested with new observational capabilities coming online in the next few years. |
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