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| Paper: |
Star Formation: From Giant Molecular Clouds to Prestellar Cores |
| Volume: |
476, New Trends in Radio Astronomy in the ALMA Era |
| Page: |
85 |
| Authors: |
Onishi, T. |
| Abstract: |
Star formation is a complex process that spans many orders of magnitude in mass and linear scale with a wide variety of extreme environments. Giant Molecular Clouds (GMCs), which are believed to be the formation sites of most stars in galaxies, are formed from diffuse HI clouds possibly via effects of large-scale galactic dynamics and/or energetic events with a size scale of 10 pc to 10 kpc. Stars/clusters form from the densest, gravitationally bound, parsec-scale clumps within the GMCs. Once the gravitational collapse occurs, the typical size evolves from sub-parsec to AU scales in the free-fall time. The physical conditions of each process regulate the nature and rate of star formation, with consequences for planet formation and galaxy evolution. Here, I will present some of the current understanding of star formation revealed by the recent observations also with prospects for ALMA, by focusing on the following subjects; the galactic-scale GMC properties, effects of dynamical interaction of molecular clouds/clumps to the star formation efficiencies, and the nature of the most evolved starless cores just prior to protostar formation. |
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