Collaborative Research: Exploring the role of nature vs. nurture in the formation of multiple star systems

Our solar system contains only one star, but most systems contain two or more stars. The number of stars in a system depends on the conditions when those stars were born. The team will study the formation of multi-star systems using computer models. These models including physics like gravity, turbulence, radiation and feedback from the stars themselves, such as winds and heating. The investigators will analyze the models to study the different ways multi-star systems form. Studying the origin of stars enables a better understanding of the origin of our own solar system and how common Earth-like planets. They will create summary movies, targeted for the public, by creating visually appealing moves for planetarium shows. The team will help train the next generation of scientists and the technical workforce. They will build an inclusive environment for students and provide practical hands-on computer training that will allow the students to work in industry or academia. Binary star formation occurs during the earliest stages of star formation, when star-forming cores and disks are highly obscured and difficult to probe at high resolution. The proposal addresses a fundamental question: Why do some filaments, cores, and disks produce multiple gravitationally bound stars, while others produce only single stars? To address this question, the proposers will study the physics responsible for stellar multiplicity, with a specific focus on determining the incidence of each channel for multiple formation and on disentangling the impact of the initial gas conditions (nature) from the influence of dynamical interactions (nurture). The team will analyze a series of magnetohydrodynamic simulations of star cluster formation that include all major physical processes in order to explore the relationship between multiple protostellar systems, gas properties and dynamical interactions. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.