| Description |
Low mass stars form in dense cores of gas and dust. Many
details of how this happens are unclear. Sensitive continuum mapping
observations at wavelengths that sample the peak of their SEDs (100-300
microns) are needed, for a large ensemble of cores, in order to investigate
dense core evolution. Isolated dense cores are the best place to study
core evolution, as they are free of the confusing effects of star formation
in large clouds and clusters. We propose to map, in the continuum with
PACS and SPIRE, a carefully selected group of isolated cores with low peak
column density (about 30 cores), to study the earliest stages of core
evolution. By combining these data with Spitzer and submm continuum and
molecular line observations, we will determine the physical, dynamical and
chemical state of each core. These results will enable us to investigate
many questions relating to how dense cores form and evolve toward star
formation. |
