INTRODUCTION

Some fraction of all stars is formed in gravitationally bound stellar clusters, while the remainder originates in unbound associations. It is not understood which physical mechanisms generate either result. Recent work indicates that the outcome of the star/cluster formation process may already be set by the characteristics of the interstellar medium at the onset of gravitational collapse. If true, this provides a promising ansatz to identify the physics of cluster formation: the conversion of gas into stellar clusters. With the new generation of observational facilities such as Herschel, ALMA, Gaia, and JWST, it will be possible to follow the time evolution of the entire star formation process, from the structure of the interstellar medium and the initial collapse of giant molecular clouds to the emergence of massive, dense stellar clusters. The insights that will follow from these observations can be interpreted in the context of galaxy formation and evolution, allowing an understanding of how the galaxy-scale environment and small-scale star formation events are influenced by each other.


WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

By bringing together experts in the theory and observations of the physics of the interstellar medium, star/cluster formation, cluster populations, and star cluster/galaxy evolution, this workshop is intended to make significant progress in understanding the wide range of scales and mechanisms that govern the star and cluster formation process. The three weeks of the workshop will include the following themes. Throughout, there will be a natural focus on how to direct the theory, numerical work, and observations to meet on common grounds.

1) The current theoretical understanding of star and cluster formation

  • How do collapsing giant molecular clouds (GMCs) fragment and convert their gas into stars?
  • Which feedback mechanisms halt star formation, and how does the resulting gas expulsion affect the formation of stellar clusters?
  • How do the global characteristics of galaxies influence the properties of GMCs and clustered star formation?

2) Observational constraints on star and cluster formation

  • How well can the progenitors of stellar clusters currently be identified in the interstellar medium (ISM)?
  • Which observational methods can be used to determine the gravitational boundedness of young stellar structure?
  • What do galaxies other than the Milky Way tell us about the variation of stellar clustering with the galactic environment?

3) Connecting the dots: towards an understanding of stellar clustering

  • Where do the small-scale and galaxy-scale physics of star formation meet and how should both be combined in a complete picture of cluster formation?
  • How will the recent and upcoming observational facilities enable us to constrain the physics of cluster formation?
  • How can we address the variation of stellar clustering with cosmic time?
  • What can we learn about globular cluster formation by considering star and cluster formation in the nearby universe?

The workshops held at the Aspen Center for Physics are characterized by their informal nature. They rely strongly on the (guided) initiative from the participants, and a schedule typically arises naturally after a couple of introductory (blackboard) talks and the interests that come up during the science discussions. The Center hosts several alcoves and blackboard areas to facilitate this. In line with the Aspen Center for Physics philosophy, the organizers aim to limit the schedule to eight hours of plenary talks per week. Small-N collaborative discussions are encouraged and will be held more frequently.


HOW TO APPLY

Admission to the workshop is granted not by the workshop organizers, but by the Admissions Committee of the Aspen Center for Physics - the input from the workshop organizers is limited. The Admissions Committee aims to accommodate as many applicants to the workshop as possible, but because of the constraints imposed by the rest of the Aspen Center for Physics program, they may not be able to admit everyone who applies. Note that the Center strongly encourages (and prefers) participation for the full duration of the workshop. As they say: "Short stays are detrimental to the effectiveness of the workshops and are strongly discouraged."

The Center arranges accommodation in apartments (with kitchens) and can also arrange for day-care services. Such arrangements facilitate participants to attend and bring their families if they wish. For more information on participating in an Aspen Center workshop, see this URL.

Everyone who wishes to participate in this workshop must apply before January 31, 2013 at this URL. The Admissions Committee will meet in late February and determine the participant list, which will be distributed in March.


SOC & CONTACT

  • Diederik Kruijssen, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (contact)
  • Nate Bastian, Liverpool John Moores University
  • Steve Longmore, Liverpool John Moores University
  • Mark Krumholz, University of California Santa Cruz


PARTICIPANTS

  • Jennifer Andrews, University of Massachusetts
  • John Bally, University of Colorado
  • Matthew Benacquista, University of Texas Brownsville
  • Frank Bigiel, University of Heidelberg
  • Adrianus Bik, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
  • Eli Bressert, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
  • Roberto Angelo Capuzzo-Dolcetta, Sapienza Universita di Roma
  • Stirling Colgate, Los Alamos
  • Arjun Dey, National Optical Astronomy Observatory
  • Michael Fall, Space Telescope Science Institute
  • Morgan Fouesneau, University of Washington
  • Gary Fuller, University of Manchester
  • Roberto Galvan-Madrid, ESO-Garching
  • Robert Gutermuth, University of Massachusetts
  • Remy Indebetouw, University of Virginia
  • Kelsey Johnson, University of Virginia
  • L. Clifton Johnson, University of Washington
  • Eric Keto, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
  • Richard Klein, University of California Berkeley
  • Jessica Lu, University of Hawaii
  • Mordecai-Mark Mac Low, American Museum of Natural History
  • Norman Murray, Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics
  • Philip Myers, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
  • Joan Najita, National Optical Astronomy Observatory
  • Desika Narayanan, Arizona State University
  • Quang Nguyen-Luong, Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics
  • Jill Rathborne, CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science
  • Evan Scannapieco, Arizona State University
  • Andreas Schruba, California Institute of Technology
  • Esteban Silva-Villa, Centre de Recherche en Astrophysique du Quebec
  • Rowan Smith, University of Heidelberg
  • Linda Smith, Space Telescope Science Institute
  • Fabian Walter, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy
  • Bradley Whitmore, Space Telescope Science Institute