The PI and her team will apply 2D and 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulations to observed collimated outflows from young solar-type stars. They will follow a two phase approach of 1) investigating launching and collimation on small spatial scales of less than 1 AU, and then 2) extending the work to simulations of much larger scales of 10-100 AU. Simulations from the second phase will be compared to observations of young stellar objects (YSO's) with outflows over similar distance scales.
The project will also contribute to other topics relevant to stellar astrophysics, including developing physical understanding and intuition about material undergoing gravitational infall, constraining models of initial mass functions and angular momentum. The PI will mentor a postdoctoral researcher and undergraduate students in participating in this resarch project, and will also organize and run a public outreach exibit through the Ithaca Science Center.
