Properties and Formation of Star Clusters

Abstract

Many key problems in astrophysics involve research on the properties of star clusters, for example: stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis, the history of star formation in galaxies, formation dynamics of galaxies and their subsystems, the calibration of the fundamental distance scale in the universe, and the luminosity functions of stars and star clusters. This review is intended to familiarize the reader with modern observational and theoretical data on the formation and evolution of star clusters in our galaxy and others. Unsolved problems in this area are formulated and research on ways to solve them is discussed. In particular, some of the most important current observational and theoretical problems include: (1) a more complete explanation of the physical processes in molecular clouds leading to the formation and evolution of massive star clusters; (2) observation of these objects in different stages of evolution, including protoclusters, at wavelengths where interstellar absorption is minimal; and, (3) comparison of the properties of massive star clusters in different galaxies and of galaxies during the most active star formation phase at different red shifts. The main goal in solving these problems is to explain the variations in the abundance of chemical elements and in the multiple populations of stars in clusters discovered at the end of the twentieth century.