Origin and Evolution of Stars and Planets

Star Formation and Early Evolution
Task leader: J. F. Gameiro

Our goal is to conduct unbiased, wide field, multi-wavelength observations of galactic molecular clouds and its young stellar objects (YSO) content in the embedded clusters (EC) and halo. Studies of the structure and dynamics of ECs and comparing observational results to the star formation simulations are our focus. Understanding the formation of massive stars is also a primary theme. We use infrared-mm observations and radiative transfer models to study candidate massive protostellar objects.
The study of stellar multiplicity of very young stars (low-mass) are pursued with the goal of understanding how short period binary stars are formed. The team also studies star-disk interaction and trace the YSO evolution using multi-wavelength spectroscopy, evolutionary modelling, and correlation studies of the X-ray emission with stellar parameters and accretion tracers. The spectro-astrometric technique is used to derive magnetospheric properties and constrain disk size in YSOs.
Collimated mass ejection is an ubiquitous phenomenon is astrophysics from gamma-ray bursts to young stellar jets. Where do jets originate? Are they stationary structures or intrinsically caused by instabilities? Our team focuses on these questions by studying jets in young stars where the jet angular size is larger. Several methods are used (MHD modelling, thermal and chemical modelling of the material and radiative transfer, high angular resolution observations).



The activities of the team are supported by the following funding projects:

Recent scientific highlights of the team: