Issue |
EAS Publications Series
Volume 52, 2011
Conditions and Impact of Star Formation
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Page(s) | 167 - 172 | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/eas/1152027 | |
Published online | 25 November 2011 |
M. Röllig, R. Simon, V. Ossenkopf and J. Stutzki (eds)
EAS Publications Series, 52 (2011) 167-172
Probing the formation mechanism of prestellar cores and the origin of the imf: first results from the herschel gould belt survey
Laboratoire AIM, CEA Saclay,
IRFU/Service d’Astrophysique, 91191
Gif-sur-Yvette,
France ;
e-mail: pandre@cea.fr
We summarize the first results from the Herschel Gould Belt survey, one of the largest key projects with the Herschel Space Observatory. Our early findings confirm the existence of a close relationship between the prestellar core mass function (CMF) the stellar initial mass function (IMF). Furthermore, they suggest a scenario according to which the formation of prestellar cores occurs in two main steps: 1) complex networks of long, thin filaments form first, probably as a result of interstellar MHD turbulence; 2) the densest filaments then fragment and develop prestellar cores via gravitational instability.
© EAS, EDP Sciences 2011