Star Formation

Abstract

Star formation is an extremely active area of current research with studies ranging from the detailed properties of forming stars in the Galaxy to the evolution of galaxies at cosmological distances. Some of the problems being tackled are of long standing but many are related to unexpected discoveries which have followed from the application of new and improved observing capabilities throughout the electromagnetic spectrum during the last few years. Amongst others, these include the nature of y and X-ray sources in molecular clouds, the origin of the molecular mass outflows and various related phenomena (e.g. H2O masers, hot H2 emission...) observed in the vicinity of forming massive stars, the mechanism responsible for generating bursts of star formation in galaxy nuclei and the nature of star formation in cooling flows of intracluster gas. At the present time therefore there would be no shortage of good optical/infrared observing proposals which could take full advantage of the order of magnitude gain in sensitivity and, at least in the infrared, the improved angular resolution promised by most of the proposed VLT projects. The need for improved capabilities in the near and mid-infrared is also being pressed by developments in related observational techniques. In particular, sub-mm and mm wave molecular astronomy is set to advance rapidly during the next few years with the completion of several dedicated large dishes. Far infrared astronomy has also recently come of age with the completion of the IRAS all sky satellite survey and the adoption by ESA of ISO (infrared Space Observatory) as its next major astronomy mission.