Theory of star formation

被引:1911
作者
McKee, Christopher F.
Ostriker, Eve C.
机构
[1] Univ Calif Berkeley, Dept Phys & Astron, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
[2] Univ Maryland, Dept Astron, College Pk, MD 20742 USA
关键词
accretion; galaxies; giant molecular clouds; gravitational collapse; HII regions; initial mass function; interstellar medium; jets and outflows; magnetohydrodynamics; protostars; star clusters; turbulence;
D O I
10.1146/annurev.astro.45.051806.110602
中图分类号
P1 [天文学];
学科分类号
0704 ;
摘要
We review current understanding of star formation, outlining an overall theoretical framework and the observations that motivate it. A conception of star formation has emerged in which turbulence plays a dual role, both creating overdensities to initiate gravitational contraction or collapse, and countering the effects of gravity in these overdense regions. The key dynamical processes involved in star formation-turbulence, magnetic fields, and self-gravityare highly nonlinear and multidimensional. Physical arguments are used to identify and explain the features and scalings involved in star formation, and results from numerical simulations are used to quantify these effects. We divide star formation into large-scale and small-scale regimes and review each in turn. Large scales range from galaxies to giant molecular clouds (GMCs) and their substructures. Important problems include how GNICs form and evolve, what determines the star formation rate (SFR), and what determines the initial mass function (IMF). Small scales range from dense cores to the protostellar systems they beget. We discuss formation of both low- and high-mass stars, including ongoing accretion. The development of winds and outflows is increasingly well understood, as are the mechanisms governing angular momentum transport in disks. Although outstanding questions remain, the framework is now in place to build a comprehensive theory of star formation that will be tested by the next generation of telescopes.
引用
收藏
页码:565 / 687
页数:123
相关论文
共 740 条
[61]   A PHASE-II STUDY OF CISPLATIN THERAPY IN RECURRENT CHILDHOOD BRAIN-TUMORS - A REPORT FROM THE CHILDRENS-CANCER-STUDY-GROUP [J].
BERTOLONE, SJ ;
BAUM, ES ;
KRIVIT, W ;
HAMMOND, GD .
JOURNAL OF NEURO-ONCOLOGY, 1989, 7 (01) :5-11
[62]   Fragmentation in massive star formation [J].
Beuther, H ;
Schilke, P .
SCIENCE, 2004, 303 (5661) :1167-1169
[63]   Massive molecular outflows [J].
Beuther, H ;
Schilke, P ;
Sridharan, TK ;
Menten, KM ;
Walmsley, CM ;
Wyrowski, F .
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, 2002, 383 (03) :892-904
[64]  
Beuther H, 2005, ASTROPHYS SPACE SC L, V324, P105
[65]   Caught in the act: The onset of massive star formation [J].
Beuther, H ;
Sridharan, TK ;
Saito, M .
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 2005, 634 (02) :L185-L188
[66]   IRAS 05358+3543: Multiple outflows at the earliest stages of massive star formation [J].
Beuther, H ;
Schilke, P ;
Gueth, F ;
McCaughrean, M ;
Andersen, M ;
Sridharan, TK ;
Menten, KM .
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, 2002, 387 (03) :931-943
[67]  
Binney J., 2008, Galactic Dynamics, V2nd ed.
[68]  
Biskamp D, 2003, MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC
[69]  
BLACK DC, 1985, PROTOSTARS PLANETS, V2
[70]   HYDROMAGNETIC FLOWS FROM ACCRETION DISKS AND THE PRODUCTION OF RADIO JETS [J].
BLANDFORD, RD ;
PAYNE, DG .
MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 1982, 199 (03) :883-903