On the origin of high-mass stars: a UCM storyRecording

by Dr Álvaro Hacar (University of Vienna, Austria)

Friday Mar 8, 2024, 10:00 AM → 11:30 AM Europe/Madrid

00.302.0 - Aula 12 (Facultad de Ciencias Físicas)

As demonstrated by different galactic surveys, the star-formation process is intimately connected to the formation and evolution of filaments.  Using large-scale observations from both single-dish and interferometers such as IRAM and ALMA, we carried out a systematic study of the molecular emission of several filamentary clouds such as Taurus and Orion. The analysis of the internal gas kinematics of these regions reveals a complex gas substructure of sub-filaments (aka fibers) within both low- and high-mass star-forming regions. The local properties of these fibers (internal motions, distribution, and mass) set the initial conditions for the formation stars. Based on these findings, we propose a unified star-formation scenario where the observed differences between low- and high-mass clouds, and the origin of clusters, naturally emerge within filamentary networks of different complexity.
During my talk I will present how some of these results are shaping our current understanding of the star-formation process in the ISM. Part of the first class of the Masters in Astrophysics at the UCM, I will also discuss how my research journey brought me from my Masters studies in Madrid to work as professional astronomer abroad.

YouTube