AstroFIt 2 – COFUND fellow since June 1, 2018.
Project ended on November 30, 2018.
INAF Research Centre: Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri
Email: veronica.roccatagliata at inaf.it
Papers/Publications:
- The double population of Chamaeleon I detected by Gaia DR2 (Astromony & Astrophysics, 27/8/2018)
-
IRAM and Gaia views of multi-episodic star formation in IC 1396A (Astromony & Astrophysics, 7/2/2019)
-
A 3D view of the Taurus star-forming region by Gaia and Herschel (Astromony & Astrophysics, 18/6/2020)
Project title: filaments2cores – The Early Phases of Star Formation: from Filaments to Cores and Young Clusters
Abstract:
One of the most important topics in modern astrophysics is to understand the connection between filaments and early phases of star formation from the formation of dense cores to young stars. Filaments have recently been detected by the Herschel Space Observatory not only in nearby star-forming regions, but also in regions where star formation is not currently active. This suggests that their appearance is not related to star formation activity but is instead the result of global processes intrinsic to the clouds themselves. The final goal of this project is therefore to establish the connection between the interstellar medium and the early phases of star formation, via observational constraints on filaments.
I will use as a first laboratory the nearby low-mass star forming region of the Serpens Core. In our recent analysis of Herschel data of the Serpens core region we resolved a network of filaments converging on the central cluster. Such a complex structure has been predicted by star-formation theories. Thanks to my broad background as an observer at different wavelengths, I have collected new and complementary data, from the near-infrared up to the sub-millimeter wavelength range. This multi-wavelength approach, in combination with theoretical predictions in the group of star formation in Arcetri, makes my project unique.
I will be able to address the following fundamental questions:
- How do filaments form stable and what is the influence of the magnetic field?
- What is the connection between filaments and pre- or proto-stellar cores?
- How do filaments evolve and what is the influence of the magnetic field in this evolution?
The timing of this project is perfect, since in recent years enormous efforts have been made in modelling the physical processes responsible for shaping the interstellar medium as well as observationally, in particular due to Herschel. This study is also preparatory for ALMA that will be fully operational in the next years.