Abstract:
Protostellar outflows are ubiquitous phenomena observed during the earliest stages of star formation. Driven by active accretion onto the central protostar, highly collimated bipolar jets are launched, which interact with the surrounding ambient medium and generate shock fronts. These bipolar outflows play a crucial role in the star formation process by removing excess angular momentum from the system, thereby facilitating continued accretion onto the protostar.
In addition to regulating accretion, outflows inject momentum and energy into the surrounding medium, contributing to turbulence that can counteract gravitational collapse and influence the evolution of the parent molecular cloud. Another intriguing class of outflows, known as explosive outflows, has recently gained significant attention. These are believed to originate from dynamical interactions or merging events of protostars, potentially playing a key role in the formation of massive stars.
In this talk, I will present recent results from our group that highlight the diverse roles of protostellar outflows in shaping star formation.
