Abstract
Star formation is a continuous ongoing process occurring over the
lifetime of our Galaxy and the universe. However understanding how
stars form from their pre-natal clouds of gas and dust remains a
mystery. During the last two decades we have made remarkable progress
toward unraveling this mystery mainly due to advances in observational
technology especially at infrared and millimeter wavelengths which allow
direct observation of the sites of star birth. Such observations suggest
that embedded clusters may be the fundamental units of star formation in
molecular clouds. Low star formation efficiency and rapid gas dispersal
make these clusters disperse to provide the field star population.
Consequently embedded clusters provide important laboratories for
investigating fundamental issues of star formation within our Galaxy.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Star formation at high angular resolution |
| Subtitle of host publication | proceedings ot the 221th Symposium of the International Astronomical Union held during the IAU General Assembly XXV, Sydney, Australia, 22 - 25 July 2003 |
| Editors | Michael G. Burton, Ray Jayawardhana, Tyler L. Bourke |
| Place of Publication | San Francisco |
| Publisher | Astronomical Society of the Pacific |
| Pages | 3 |
| Volume | 221 |
| ISBN (Print) | 1-583-81161-3 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Sept 2004 |