Abstract

The Origin of Stars and Their Planetary Systems

Ralph E. Pudritz (McMaster University)

JWST presents us with a unique opportunity to probe one of the deepest questions in astrophysics - namely - how do stars and their associated planetary systems form? Is the formation mechanism for stars universal or does it depend upon their mass or environment? How is star and planet formation linked to the formation and properties of protostellar disks? One of the central insights gleaned over the last decade is that star formation occurs in cores within filaments probably by gravitational instability. They also form preferentially in clusters that are born in particularly rich filamentary environments. How is cluster formation driven and how it is connected to these filamentary flows? Do feedback processes ultimately limit cluster masses? On smaller scales, to what extent do disk properties and masses depend upon cluster formation and evolution? This review will span several decades of physical scales, ranging from processess operating in clusters/filaments down to the formation of protostellar disks and the first stages of planet formation within them.

Invited review