Spitzer Space Telescope - Theoretical Research Proposal #40515


Star Formation Ecology: YSO Outflow Feedback in Young Clusters 

Principal Investigator: Adam Frank
           Institution: University of Rochester

     Technical Contact: Adam Frank, University of Rochester

Co-Investigators: 
John Bally, University of Colorado                                    
Alice Quillen, University of Rochester                                
Eric Blackman, University of Rochester                                
Judy Pipher, University of Rochester                                  
Robert Gutermuth, SAO                                                 

Science Category: star formation 
Dollars Approved: 89317 

Abstract:
Energetic outflows associated with young stellar objects exert a strong effect
on their parent molecular clouds. The dynamics of this interaction is yet to be
well understood. In particular the role of jets and outflows in powering cloud
turbulence, modifying the star formation efficiency (SFE) and/or disrupting the
parent clouds remains unclear. Spitzer images of young clusters have provided
new views of jet-cloud interactions that can help resolve these critical issues.
In this proposal we seek to continue a highly successful (cycle 2) theory
program to explore theoretical issues of jet-cloud interactions, turbulence and
cloud disruption. Our research relies on 3-D Adaptive Mesh Refinement
hydrodynamic and MHD simulations developed in house, in concert with Spitzer
databases and other complementary observations. The team we have assembled
includes computational and analytic theorists (Frank, Blackman) as well as
observers who have worked closely with existing Spitzer Datasets (Bally,
Quillen, Pipher, Gutermuth) The work funded through the previous TR program
revealed fundamentally new aspects of YSO outflow feedback on parent cloud cores
including the importance of the temporal evolution of outflow power. In this
proposal we seek to extend the understanding gained in those studies to address
specific questions on the nature and efficacy of outflow feedback in real
systems.