SMA Hilo Science Talks Schedule

Upcoming Talks

Monday, February 28th, 2005
 
Speaker: J. Jorgensen, CfA
Title: Tracing the Physical and Chemical Evolution of Low-Mass Protostars
Time: 12:00 PM
Location: SMA Hilo Conference Room
 
Abstract: In the earliest stages of low-mass star formation, the central protostar is deeply embedded and accreting matter through a circumstellar disk. Understanding the physical and chemical properties of these young stellar objects is important, since they define the future evolution of the system including its potential to form planets. In this talk I will discuss the results of an extensive study of the physical and chemical structure of a sample of deeply embedded protostars. Based on single-dish continuum and line observations, the temperature, density and abundance profiles of the protostellar envelopes are determined through detailed radiative transfer modeling. Subsequent high-resolution interferometer observations constrain the properties of the protostars down to a few AU scales. These results provide interesting new insights into the deeply embedded stages of low-mass protostellar evolution, e.g., in relation to the physical and chemical structure and evolution of the envelope, to the importance of outflows and the formation of circumstellar disks. In particular, I will emphasize how and where the SMA will be important in the studies of these early stages of star formation and present a few results from our ongoing large survey.

Schedule: