Star Formation in Hub-Filament Systems: A Unifying View

Abstract

Most stars in our galaxy form within clusters. Young stellar clusters  (YSCs) exhibit well-defined characteristics, including radius, mass segregation, and initial mass function. While low-mass stars take  roughly ten times longer to form than their high-mass counterparts, both populations emerge together before radiative feedback from massive stars can disrupt the parent cloud. In this talk, I will present a unified framework for star formation in hub-filament systems (HFS), offering a coherent explanation for these observed properties. I will explore the mechanisms driving the accumulation of dense gas and dust in the hub — the primary birthplace of massive stars — and discuss the evolving dynamics of magnetized HFS, including new findings on the subject. Finally, I will conclude by outlining key unresolved questions in HFS star formation.

Speaker: 
Dr. Nanda Kumar (CAUP)
Place: 
KIAA Shuqi meeting room
Time: 
Monday, May 19, 2025 - 1:30PM to Monday, May 19, 2025 - 2:30PM
Biography: 
Dr. Nanda Kumar is a researcher at the Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto (CAUP), Portugal. He earned his PhD from the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad, India, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the Observatorio Astronómico Nacional (OAN) in Madrid, Spain, before settling in Porto. His career includes a Marie Curie Individual Fellowship (2015–2017) hosted by the University of Hertfordshire, UK, and competitive appointments such as the Ciência and FCT Investigator positions in Portugal. He has actively contributed to the astronomical community through roles on ESO Users and Observing Programs committees. A specialist in infrared/mm astronomy, Dr. Kumar has been a co-investigator for major surveys including VVV, VVVX, VHS, UWISH2, and Spitzer 3D. Over his 20-year career, he has mentored numerous students and postdocs, with research spanning low- and high-mass star formation—from protostellar jets and outflows to young stellar clusters and massive protostars. In recent years, his work has centered on hub-filament systems (HFS), synthesizing multi-wavelength observations into a unified paradigm for star formation. This framework bridges the evolutionary pathways of low- and high-mass stars, addressing long-standing questions in the field.