No CrossRef data available.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 14 August 2015
The process of star formation occurs in regions of space not accessible to the traditional techniques of optical spectroscopy and photometry. Star formation begins with a density enhancement in a cold molecular cloud. Stellar gestation then occurs inside an obscuring cocoon of natal gas and dust, which for high mass stars may still be in place when the star reaches the Zero Age Main Sequence (ZAMS). During this time the new star gathers the material which will make up its total mass, solves its angular momentum problem, achieves hydrostatic equilibrium and is making the conversion from gravitational to nuclear energy. The only direct view of this remarkable process is by radio and infrared techniques. Unlike many areas of infrared astronomy, which are extensions of previous optical studies to other wavelengths, information about star formation is primarily gained through infrared and radio studies.