Abstract
The study of the earliest stages of star formation in molecular clouds is one of the fields that should benefit most from ALMA. Improving our understanding of these deeply embedded stages is crucial to gain insight into the origin of stellar masses and binary systems. While the use of large single-dish (sub)millimeter radiotelescopes and existing interferometers has led to good progress on the overall density structure of isolated prestellar cores and young protostars, many questions remain open concerning, e.g., their fragmentation properties and detailed kinematics. Furthermore, the classical paradigm for the formation of single low-mass stars in well-separated, magnetized prestellar cores has been challenged on the grounds that most young stars actually belong to multiple systems and/or coherent clusters. A new paradigm based on supersonic turbulence has emerged which emphasizes the role of dynamical interactions between individual (proto)stars in cluster-forming clumps. The debate is far from settled and ALMA will greatly help to discriminate between these two paradigms.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
André, P., Saraceno, P.: In: The Dusty and Molecular Universe: A Prelude to Herschel and ALMA, ESA SP-577, p. 179 (2005)
André, P., Ward-Thompson, D., Barsony, M.: In: Protostars and Planets IV, p. 59. University of Arizona Press, Tucson (2000)
André, P., Belloche, A., Motte, F., Peretto, N.: Astron. Astrophys. (2007, in press). ArXiv:0706.1535
Bate, M.R., Bonnell, I.A., Bromm, V.: Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 332, L65 (2002)
Bate, M., Bonnell, I., Bromm, V.: Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 339, 577 (2003)
Blitz, L.: In: Protostars and Planets III, p. 125. University of Arizona Press, Tucson (1993)
Bontemps, S., André, P., Kaas, A.A., Nordh, L., et al.: Astron. Astrophys. 372, 173 (2001)
Chabrier, G.: In: The Initial Mass Function 50 Years Later. ASSL vol. 327, p. 41 (2005)
Delgado-Donate, E.J., Clarke, C.J., Bate, M.R.: Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 342, 926 (2003)
Di Francesco, J., Evans, N.J., Caselli, P., Myers, P.C., Shirley, Y., Aikawa, Y., Tafalla, M.: In: Protostars and Planets V, p. 17. University of Arizona Press, Tucson (2007)
Fromang, S., Hennebelle, P., Teyssier, R.: Astron. Astrophys. 457, 371 (2006)
Gao, Y., Solomon, P.: Astrophys. J. 606, 271 (2004)
Goodwin, S., Whitworth, A., Ward-Thompson, D.: Astron. Astrophys. 414, 633 (2004)
Goodwin, S.P., Kroupa, P., Goodman, A., Burkert, A.: In: Protostars and Planets V, p 133. University of Arizona Press, Tucson (2007)
Greaves, J.S., Holland, W.S., Pound, M.W.: Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 346, 441 (2003)
Hartmann, L., Ballesteros-Paredes, J., Bergin, E.: Astrophys. J. 562, 852 (2001)
Hennebelle, P., Whitworth, A., Cha, S.-H., Goodwin, S.: Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 348, 687 (2004)
Klessen, R., Burkert, A.: Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 128, 287 (2000)
Klessen, R.S., Ballesteros-Paredes, J., Vázquez-Semadeni, E., Durán-Rojas, C.: Astrophys. J. 620, 786 (2005)
Kroupa, P.: Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 322, 231 (2001)
Lada, C.J.: Astrophys. J. 640, L63 (2006)
Lada, C., Lada, E.: Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 41, 57 (2003)
Larson, R.B.: Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc., 214, 379 (1985)
Mac Low, M.-M., Klessen, R.S.: Rev. Mod. Phys., 76, 125 (2004)
McKee, C., Tan, J.: Astrophys. J. 585, 850 (2003)
Motte, F., André, P., Neri, R.: Astron. Astrophys. 365, 440 (1998)
Motte, F., André, P., Ward-Thompson, D., Bontemps, S.: Astron. Astrophys. 372, L41 (2001)
Mouschovias, T.C., Ciolek, G.E.: In: Lada, C.J., Kylafis, N.D. (eds.) The Origin of Stars and Planetary Systems, p. 305. Kluwer, Dordrecht (1999)
Padoan, P., Nordlund, A.: Astrophys. J. 576, 870 (2002)
Padoan, P., Nordlund, A.: Astrophys. J. 617, 559 (2004)
Peretto, N., André, P., Belloche, A.: Astron. Astrophys. 445, 979 (2006)
Peretto, N., Hennebelle, P., André, P.: Astron. Astrophys. 464, 983 (2007)
Pety, J., Gueth, F., Guilloteau, S.: ALMA Memo No. 386 (2001)
Reipurth, B., Clarke, C.: Astron. J. 122, 423 (2001)
Shu, F.H., Adams, F.C., Lizano, S.: Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 25, 23 (1987)
Shu, F.H., Li, Z.-Y., Allen, A.: Astrophys. J. 601, 930 (2004)
Stanke, T., Smith, M.D., Gredel, R., Khanzadyan, T.: Astron. Astrophys. 447, 609 (2006)
Testi, L., Sargent, A.I.: Astrophys. J. Lett. 508, L91 (1998)
Wang, H., Yang, J., Wang, M., Yan, J.: Astron. Astrophys. 389, 1015 (2002)
Ward-Thompson, D., André, P., Crutcher, R., Johnstone, D., Onishi, T., Wilson, C.: In: Protostars and Planets V, p. 33. University of Arizona Press, Tucson (2007)
Whitworth, A., Bate, M.R., Nordlund, A., Reipurth, B., Zinnecker, H.: In: Protostars and Planets V, p. 459. University of Arizona Press, Tucson (2007)
Williams, J., Garland, C.: Astrophys. J. 568, 259 (2002)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
André, P., Hennebelle, P. & Peretto, N. Early stages of star formation. Astrophys Space Sci 313, 29–34 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10509-007-9601-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10509-007-9601-x