Abstract Details

Name: Neal Evans
Affiliation: University of Texas at Austin
Conference ID: ASI2020_52
Title : The Central Problem of Star Formation: Why So Slow?
Authors and Co-Authors : Neal Evans
Abstract Type : Invited
Abstract Category : Special Session
Abstract : The Central Problem of star formation has been clear for over 40 years: simple estimations predict star formation rates about 100 times what is observed. Much ingenious theoretical work has been expended to solve this problem, enhancing our understanding of turbulence and feedback in molecular clouds, but the fundamental problem remains. This situation suggests a reconsideration of the basic assumptions that underlie the problem: that molecular clouds are bound entities and that the natural timescale is the free-fall time. I will re-examine these assumptions in light of new studies. I will also reconsider the role of feedback in producing a slow star formation rate.