Dynamical and chemical signatures of protostellar feedback in the star-forming Interstellar Medium – FeedbackISM

Dynamical and chemical signatures of protostellar feedback in the star-forming Interstellar Medium

This project is enclosed in the theoretical astrophysics framework. We propose to confront theoretical results to observations in order to improve our current understanding of star formation. The theoretical results will be obtained using state-of-the-art international numerical codes that integrate dynamical, chemical and radiative processes.

Objectives

We will consider the collapse and the evolution of large turbulent and magnetized molecular clouds (up to a few thousand M8 over scales of a few pc) which give birth to star clusters. Using the radiation-magneto-hydrodynamics code RAMSES1, which is to date unique in the community, we will study the interaction between star formation and the interstellar medium (ISM) and account for the dynamical and thermal feedbacks of the forming protostars on the chemical evolution of the molecular clouds. We will have a particular focus on the regions where matter is being ejected from the protostars in the form of outflows and jets. The simulated 3D physical cloud structures will be used to model chemical evolution using the robust chemical code ALCHEMIC and its state-of-the-art chemical network that includes hundreds of molecules and ices. The chemical and physical structures of the molecular cloud will then be post-processed using the 3D radiative transfer code RADMC-3D2, to produce synthetic molecular line emission and dust emission maps. These maps will form the basis of a comprehensive physical understanding for observations, which are expected to make considerable progress within the next few years with the release of HERSCHEL data and the forthcoming Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA) radio- interferometer. This project will make close connection between theory and observations and will give rise to a better understanding of the star-forming ISM physics.