Elucidation of Cluster Formation Mechanisms through Measurement of Molecular Cloud Core Lifetimes

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K13962
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 16010:Astronomy-related
• Research Institution: Kyushu University (2022-2023); Osaka Prefecture University (2021)
• Principal Investigator: Tokuda Kazuki 九州大学, 理学研究院, 特任助教 (60802139)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 星形成 / 電波望遠鏡 / 分子雲コア / ALMA / 星団形成

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Stars primarily form in groups, but the mechanisms of their formation are significantly less understood compared to individual stars. Star-forming regions in clusters are literally dense with objects at various stages of evolution, and one reason for the lack of understanding is that high-density gas clumps that are on the verge of becoming individual stars or binary systems have not been specifically identified, and their properties and formation factors are not well understood. In this study, we identify numerous high-density clumps, spanning a few thousand AU, embedded in the molecular cloud cores of the nearest star-forming region to our solar system through unbiased wide-area observations with ALMA, and compare their properties with those obtained from studies of isolated low-mass star formation regions. In molecular cloud cores during cluster formation, turbulence predominates, and the gas clumps that can become seeds for stars are likely formed very dynamically.

Free Research Field

天文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

学術的意義：天文物理学の知識進展：分子雲コアの寿命と星団形成の役割を理解することで、星や銀河の形成・進化に関する理論やモデルに影響を与えます。
方法論の革新：新しい測定方法や技術の開発は、他の天文学の分野にも応用可能です。社会的意義：教育への影響：宇宙の理解を深めることで、科学技術への関心を高め、教育の向上につながります。技術革新への触発：天体物理学の研究で開発された技術は他の分野にも応用されることがあります。文化的・哲学的影響：宇宙に対する理解は人類の自己認識を変え、文化や哲学の議論に影響を与えます。