Descrizione del progetto
Una nuova ricerca fa luce su come si formano enormi stelle
I dischi circumstellari sono un ingrediente essenziale nella formazione di stelle a bassa massa, proprio come il nostro Sole. Questo processo non è necessariamente lo stesso durante la formazione di stelle più massicce, circa otto masse solari maggiori. Il progetto Magik Star, finanziato dall’UE, studierà ulteriormente questo problema di lunga data per gli astrofisici. Basandosi sulla recente ricerca di successo che collega i flussi in collisione con la formazione di stelle ad alta massa, i ricercatori combineranno questi risultati della ricerca con studi sul campo magnetico, che si sono rivelati importanti anche nel processo di formazione delle stelle. Il lavoro numerico sarà integrato da osservazioni sperimentali nel radiotelescopio ALMA. I risultati forniranno ulteriori dettagli sulla massiccia formazione stellare, che finora è stata scarsa considerata la rarità di tali stelle.
Obiettivo
Star formation is a fundamental process in astrophysics, which has been studied for decades. As of now, most of our knowledge is concentrated on the formation of stars of a few solar masses. If galaxies' total stellar mass is dominated by low-mass stars, their energy budget is exclusively controlled by the enormous luminosity and powerful feedback of massive stars (M > 8 Msun). Despite their importance, the mechanisms leading to the formation of high-mass stars remain a mystery in many aspects. From the theoretical point of view, low-mass star formation models are not directly transposable as they do not provide accretion rates in line with what is necessary for high-mass star formation. From the observational point of view, until the recent rise of large interferometers, little was known about the formation of massive stars due to their scarcity, and remoteness. Through my work with interferometers, I have proved that very dynamical processes (colliding flows) are at play in high-mass star-forming regions (HMSFR). On the other hand, recent studies have shown that magnetic fields are a key factor in the regulation of star-formation. I am convinced that the dynamical features observed in HMSFR coupled with the action of the magnetic fields could explain for the formation of high-mass stars. For this two-year project, I plan on studying the coupling of gas dynamics with magnetic fields. For this purpose, I present an innovative project that will study this coupling simultaneously from observational and numerical inquiries. I will use today's best instrument in radio-astronomy, ALMA, to trace both the kinematics of gas and the magnetic field morphology. This observational part relies on data that I have already acquired. For the numerical part, I will participate in the development of dedicated magneto-hydro-dynamical simulations together with P. Hennebelle to understand the physical processes that underlie the observational features.
Campo scientifico
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EFCoordinatore
75015 PARIS 15
Francia