EPoS
EPoS Contribution

Protostellar Envelopes

John Tobin
National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Charlottesville, USA
The life lived by a star and its forming planetary system are largely determined by the initial conditions of formation, specifically the properties of its protostellar envelope. The structure, density profile, kinematics, and dispersal mechanism will all play roles in determining the properties of the stellar object and proto-planetary disk. I will review the recent progress in these four areas as revealed by recent sub/millimeter and mid-infrared observations with a look toward the future of what open questions can be answered in the near future with the new observational capabilities coming online (i.e. ALMA).
Collaborators:
Lee Hartmann
Leslie Looney
Hsin-Fang Chiang
Edwin Bergin