Descrizione del progetto
Le fibre sottili in una culla di stelle potrebbero rappresentare la nascita di stelle massicce
Secondo gli astronomi, le stelle sono di due principali «misure»: ad alta massa e a bassa massa. Le stelle ad alta massa possiedono una massa di gran lunga superiore a quella del nostro Sole. Esse sono le più calde e luminose, ma esauriscono rapidamente il combustibile a idrogeno e, pertanto, non vivono a lungo. Tuttavia, queste stelle dominano in termini di luminosità, chimica e apporto energetico nelle galassie. La formazione delle stelle ad alta massa risulta più difficile da studiare rispetto a quella delle stelle a massa bassa e rimane in gran parte un mistero. Sulla scia della sua recente scoperta (un’organizzazione filamentosa nella regione più vicina con stelle ad alta massa in formazione), EMERGE è in missione per tirare le somme. In un lavoro pionieristico, gli scienziati utilizzeranno più di 30 reti filamentose massicce per creare un modello completo della formazione di stelle ad alta massa.
Obiettivo
High-mass stars drive the physical and chemical evolution of the Universe. However, the origin of these massive objects is largely controversial. Three key questions remain under debate: a) Which physical processes determine the formation of high-mass stars? b) How do these stars get their large masses? c) Do high-mass stars form in a similar way to their low-mass counterparts?
Galactic surveys link the origin of high-mass stars to the initial properties of their gas embryos. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), I recently proved the existence of a new and fundamental filamentary organization of the gas within the Orion Nebula, the nearest high-mass star-forming region. After leading this key discovery, I propose to investigate the formation of high-mass stars as an emergent process in complex systems. In this novel scenario massive stars are created naturally by the internal interactions within networks of filaments of increasing density. To fully characterize this ground-breaking approach, this project will carry out the first systematic study of (1) the substructure, (2) internal interactions, and (3) dynamical evolution of these filamentary systems across the Milky Way.
EMERGE will survey a homogeneous ALMA sample of >30 massive filamentary networks, the largest of its kind, extracted from the first intensive exploitation of its public archive. These observational results will be tested against state-of-the-art simulations using a new generation of analysis tools. The ultimate goal of this project is to statistically quantify how unique multi-scale phenomena generated in these filamentary systems, such as collisions, mergers, and self-gravity, determine the initial conditions for the formation of high-mass stars. This ERC-StG project will solve a current challenging dichotomy in star-formation theory. In combination with low-mass studies, EMERGE will provide a major step towards a comprehensive model of star-formation under one filamentary paradigm.
Campo scientifico
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
ERC-STG - Starting GrantIstituzione ospitante
1010 Wien
Austria