The Role Of Dust In The Formation Of Stars

This ESO workshop, which took place in September 1995 on a topic that at a first glance could be considered rather specialized, attracted an unpre dictably large number of scientists. This certainly reflects the importance of this field, which has lost its seemingly esoteric character, in a wider astro physical context. To give as much room as possible in these proceedings to the targeted talks, no presentation of the Very Large Telescope Observatory has been included. All readers missing such a presentation are reminded that up-to date in-depth information about the VLT status is available electronically.1 Papers were given concerning observations in the entire electromagnetic spectrum from x-rays to mm-waves, i.e., exceeding 22 octaves in frequency. The VLT as any ground-based optical observatory can only address at best 7 octaves. Nevertheless the VLT, most likely the only ground-based observa tory specifically designed to access all these 7 octaves of the electromagnetic spectrum practically in parallel, will undoubtedly be a tool of extreme value to this field.

TH. HENNING and B. STECKLUM University Observatory. Jena This workshop was organized by the University Observatory Jena and devoted to the physics and chemistry of dense regions of interstellar matter. It was especially dealing with the properties of interstellar dust grains and star formation in those regions. This field of research was opened in Jena already in the 1950s and an early fA U Colloquium on the topic of interstellar matter was held here in 1969. Since that time, the subject of interstellar matter has grown into a much more important part of astrophysics than it was in 1969. Now we are beginning to understand the process of star formation in a greater detail. The discovery of many interstellar molecules by radioastronomers opened the new field of interstellar chemistry. In addition, the application of the new techniques of infrared astronomy led to the discovery of several absorption bands, e. g. , the 3. 1 11m ice band, which pointed to the existence of grain mantles. More recently, the detection of infrared emission lines was the first hint to the existence of a new component of interstellar matter. All these things were discussed extensively during the workshop. The very successful IRAS mission, which was also a subject of this workshop, gave us many new insights and unexpected findings, e. g. , the detection of infrared cirrus clouds.

Dust is widespread in the galaxy. To astronomers studying stars it may be just an irritating fog, but it is becoming widely recognized that cosmic dust plays an active role in astrochemistry. Without dust, the galaxy would have evolved differently, and planetary systems like ours would not have occurred. To explore and consolidate this active area of research, Dust and Chemistry in Astronomy covers the role of dust in the formation of molecules in the interstellar medium, with the exception of dust in the solar system. Each chapter provides thorough coverage of our understanding of interstellar dust, particularly its interaction with interstellar gas. Aimed at postgraduate researchers, the book also serves as a thorough review of this significant area of astrophysics for practicing astronomers and graduate students.

Studies of stellar formation in galaxies have a profound impact on our understanding of the present and the early universe. The book describes complex physical processes involved in the creation of stars and during their young lives. It illustrates how these processes reveal themselves from radio wavelengths to high energy X-rays and gamma -rays, with special reference towards high energy signatures. Several sections devoted to key analysis techniques demonstrate how modern research in this field is pursued.

Starburst regions in nearby and distant galaxies have a profound impact on our understanding of the early universe. This new, substantially updated and extended edition of Norbert Schulz’s unique book "From Dust to Stars" describes complex physical processes involved in the creation and early evolution of stars. It illustrates how these processes reveal themselves from radio wavelengths to high energy X-rays and gamma–rays, with special reference towards high energy signatures. Several sections devoted to key analysis techniques demonstrate how modern research in this field is pursued and new chapters are introduced on massive star formation, proto-planetary disks and observations of young exoplanets. Recent advances and contemporary research on the theory of star formation are explained, as are new observations, specifically from the three great observatories of the Spitzer Space Telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory which all now operate at the same time and make high resolution space based observing in its prime. As indicated by the new title two new chapters have been included on proto-planetary disks and young exoplanets. Many more colour images illustrate attractive old and new topics that have evolved in recent years. The author gives updates in theory, fragmentation, dust, and circumstellar disks and emphasizes and strengthens the targeting of graduate students and young researchers, focusing more on computational approaches in this edition.

Without interstellar dust, the Universe as we see it today would not exist. Yet at first we considered this vital ingredient merely an irritating fog that prevented a clear view of the stars and nebulae in the Milky Way and other galaxies. We now know that interstellar dust has essential roles in the physics and chemistry of the formation of stars and planetary systems, the creation of the building blocks of life, and in the movement of those molecules to new planets. This is the story in this book. After introducing the materials this interstellar dust is made of, the authors explain the range of sizes and shapes of the dust grains in the Milky Way galaxy and the life cycle of dust, starting from the origins of dust grains in stellar explosions through to their turbulent destruction. Later on we see the variety of processes in interstellar space involving dust and the events there that cause the dust to change in ways that astronomers and astrobiologists can use to indirectly observe those events. This book is written for a general audience, concentrating on ideas rather than detailed mathematics and chemical formulae, and is the first time interstellar dust has been discussed at an accessible level.

Understanding star formation is one of the key fields in present-day astrophysics. This book treats a wide variety of the physical processes involved, as well as the main observational discoveries, with key points being discussed in detail. The current star formation in our galaxy is emphasized, because the most detailed observations are available for this case. The book presents a comparison of the various scenarios for star formation, discusses the basic physics underlying each one, and follows in detail the history of a star from its initial state in the interstellar gas to its becoming a condensed object in equilibrium. Both theoretical and observational evidence to support the validity of the general evolutionary path are presented, and methods for comparing the two are emphasized. The author is a recognized expert in calculations of the evolution of protostars, the structure and evolution of disks, and stellar evolution in general. This book will be of value to graduate students in astronomy and astrophysics as well as to active researchers in the field.

Our knowledge of the molecular gas content in galaxies has advanced rapidly in the past decade with systematic surveys from ground-based radio facilities, coupled with advances in observations and modeling of the thermal dust emission associated with the gas. This Symposium Proceedings provides a timely overview of the latest observations of molecular gas and dust in the Milky Way and in other galaxies. It also covers related topics including the initial conditions for star formation, observational tracers of star formation and interstellar conditions, and simulations of the turbulent, multiphase interstellar medium. Featuring ten review articles by leaders in the field, and including early results and prospects for the ALMA observatory, this volume will prove especially useful for graduate students or scientists who are pursuing or planning research in this area.