The interstellar medium top Stars and the interstellar medium are the two components of the Galaxy, and they have a close and intricate relationship. Stars form out of clouds of gas and dust. The Canadian Galactic Plane Survey, for which Martin serves as a scientific director, is conducting an HI and continuum radio survey at 1 arc minute resolution. Much of the ISM-related research at CITA focusses on the process of star formation.
Magnetic fields appear to play an important role.
In modelling the collapse of magnetized cores, Fiege is trying to gain insight into how protostars and the violent gas jets observed to be emitted by them are formed. Matzner also investigates the formation of jets, as well as their effects on the surrounding medium. The jets drive away material that might otherwise fall onto the protostar, and the combined effect of the jets from multiple protostars acts to destroy the molecular cloud in which they all reside. Thus, the astrophysics of jets has implications for the stellar initial mass function, the efficiency with which mass in molecular clouds is transformed into stars, and the likelihood of forming bound star clusters. Fiege also has been developing theoretical tools for interpreting maps of polarized infrared radiation from molecular clouds.