NFYK13017U The Interstellar Medium and Formation of Stars

Skills

• Present insight into temperature and density distributions of the diffuse medium and relate critically to the available energizing mechanisms
• show how the state of star formation in a galaxy with a diffuse interstellar medium can de deduced from the physiscs of the diffuse medium alone
• demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the empirical basis for the suggested diffuse medium theories
• apply thermal, rotational and magnetical corrections to the inside - outside collapse
• suggest emperical and theoretical arguments for the location of the birthline
• demonstrate the importance of nucleosynthesis for the formation of low mass stars
• suggest methods to identify and determine ages and masses of low mass protostars

Knowledge
The first part of the course deals with the physics of the diffuse interstellar medium and why it is so complex. An important issue is to understand the existence of various phases with different densities but anyway in pressure equilibrium and the feed back of the location of this equilibrium in the P/k - n diagram to the state of star formation in a galaxy. The second part is on aspects of the star formation itself and why the formation of cool stars is so interesting. Excercises on star formation in nearby star forming molecular clouds: how is the collapse taking place, how are protostars identified, how may their properties be derived?

Competences
This course will provide the students with a competent background for further studies within this research field, e.g. an M.Sc. project