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| EPoS Contribution |
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Is molecular gas necessary for star formation?
Simon Glover Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, Heidelberg, Germany | |
| The fact that star formation appears to take place only within molecular clouds can be easily explained if one assumes that the cooling provided by molecular gas is a necessary prerequisite to the onset of star formation. However, there is growing evidence that this explanation is incorrect, and that the efficient formation of molecular gas is simply a consequence of the same dynamical processes that also lead to the formation of stars. In this contribution, I will discuss a number of recent numerical simulations of cloud formation and evolution that follow the detailed chemistry and thermodynamics of the gas and that provide strong support for this picture. I will also discuss the consequences of this picture for our understanding of star formation in extreme environments. | |
| Collaborators: P. Clark, ITA, Germany R. Klessen, ITA, Germany |
Key publication
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