Colloquium by Adam Ginsburg, University of Florida
The most important factor deciding the fate of a star and its surroundings is its initial mass. The relative number of high- and low-mass stars decides how much light and mass escape from a population of stars. This distribution, the stellar initial mass function, is often assumed to be universally invariant, though we have plenty of reason to believe it varies with environment. I will present results from ALMA observations, including large programs ALMA-IMF and ACES, that measure the mass distribution of pre- and proto-stellar objects at early phases. Denser regions of our Galaxy, like its center, form more stars in clusters than do the outskirts where the Sun resides. Core mass function measurements suggest that more intensely star-forming regions preferentially form high-mass stars. However, the simplest models of core-to-star evolution fail, and I'll show how some have been ruled out. I'll present these results within a visual tour through the Galaxy at infrared and radio wavelengths, covering local regions, the Galactic plane, and the Galactic Center. I'll mix in some surprising discoveries we've made in these projects, including salts in protostellar disks and the millimeter ultra-broadline object (MUBLO).
Followed by wine and cheese.
Host: Jane Huang