2012/10/01 by Patrick Hennebelle, Edith Falgarone · 5 citations
Chemistry · Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Cloud computing #Fullerene Chemistry and Applications #Interstellar cloud #Interstellar medium #Molecular cloud #Optical properties and cooling technologies in crystalline materials #Stars #Turbulence #astro-ph.GA
paper · pdf · doi:10.1007/s00159-012-0055-y
To be published in AARv, 58 pages, 13 figures (higher resolution figures will be available on line)
openalex publication_date 2012/10/01 · arxiv created 2012/11/03 · arxiv updated 2015/06/12 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Stars form within molecular clouds but our understanding of this fundamental process remains hampered by the complexity of the physics that drives their evolution. We review our observational and theoretical knowledge of molecular clouds trying to confront the two approaches wherever possible. After a broad presentation of the cold interstellar medium and molecular clouds, we emphasize the dynamical processes with special focus to turbulence and its impact on cloud evolution. We then review our knowledge of the velocity, density and magnetic fields. We end by openings towards new chemistry models and the links between molecular cloud structure and star--formation rates.