The PI will improve the understanding of the formation of binary, brown dwarf, and sub-brown dwarf stars. The discovery of companions to pre-main sequence stars with a frequency at least equal to that of main sequence stars requires that binary star formation occur prior to the pre-main-sequence phase of stellar evolution, i.e., during the protostellar collapse phase. While brown dwarf companions to solar-mass stars appear to be rare, the number of known free-floating brown dwarf stars is large and growing. Brown dwarf binaries are common, and several sub-brown dwarfs may have been discovered with masses in the range generally associated with gas giant planets. Binary stars are hypothesized to form by fragmentation during protostellar collapse, a process that can lead to the formation of increasingly smaller mass protostars. This project will further develop the theory of protostellar fragmentation, through detailed models of the collapse of molecular cloud cores. The models will result in an improved understanding of binary and multiple star formation, as well as of the minimum mass of a newly-formed protostellar fragment.
The broader impact of this work centers on the PI's efforts to communicate the excitement of scientific discoveries to the public, through frequent interactions with journalists, giving public lectures, helping museums with exhibits, and writing articles for popular magazines. The PI also mentors undergraduate students as a part of an NSF REU program.
