Dr. Jonathan Tan will test the Turbulent Core Accretion model of local massive star formation by creating theoretical models for the spectral energy distributions of massive protostars and comparing them to observations. Dr. Tan will study the initial conditions of star cluster formation by a systematic extinction and virial analysis of infrared dark clouds. Dr. Tan will perform numerical and analytic modeling of star formation in the center of our Galaxy. A model of star-forming accretion disks will be refined and tested against observations of M87. The key feedback process in Population III star formation, disk photoevaporation, will be investigated with numerical simulations to better constrain the initial mass function of the first stars.
Dr. Tan will also develop a public outreach presentation based on a tour of local star-forming regions, several of which are being studied as part of this proposal, making extensive use of the latest astronomical imagery. The presentation will emphasize the importance of massive star and star cluster formation in understanding our origins. This presentation will be incorporated into introductory undergraduate astronomy classes at the University of Florida, the Starry Night public outreach event Dr. Tan organizes at the Florida Museum of Natural History, and as part of the material presented at visits to local schools.
This award is funded by the NSF Division of Astronomical Sciences
