Café Scientifique - From Stardust to Stars: Exploring Star and Planet Formation in Massive Star-Forming Regions

Stars form through the gravitational collapse of gas clouds, while planetary systems form in discs of gas and dust around young stars. Observations of star-forming regions within the Milky Way galaxy provide insight into these processes. The largest star-forming events produce clusters of thousands of stars, and interactions between the stars and with their environment can shape the planetary systems that emerge. In particular, strong ultraviolet radiation emitted by massive stars (tens of times more massive than our Sun) can photoevaporate gas from the discs of nearby stars, truncating the discs, affecting their chemistry, and potentially destroying them altogether. Join Dr Michael Kuhn from University of Hertfordshire, as he connect these processes, observed in the formation of other stars, to the conditions that our own solar system may have experienced during its formation 4.6 billion years ago.

Café Scientifique is a place where anyone can come to explore the latest ideas in science and technology. Meetings take place in cafes, bars, restaurants and even theatres, but always outside a traditional academic context. Anyone is welcome to come and learn something new, ask questions, and join in the discussion.