Star Formation in Gaseous Environments
Website: https://starforge.space/
Description: This is a multi-institution initiative to develop cutting-edge computer simulations of star formation, and to use them to tackle some of the biggest questions in star formation. STARFORGE uses a numerical framework implemented in the GIZMO code, which is designed to perform 3D radiation magnetohydrodynamics simulations of giant molecular clouds. The simulations include most of the relevant physics for star formation such as gravity, turbulence, magnetic field, thermodynamics, jets, stellar winds, radiation heating, supernovae.
Outer Galaxy High Resolution Survey
Website: https://sedigism.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de/oghres/
Description: This is a large scale (100 deg2) molecular line APEX legacy survey of the outer Galaxy. The main aims of the survey are to investigate star formation in the outer Galaxy and constrain the large scale structure and dynamics of the Milky Way. The main target lines are the 12CO(2-1), 13CO(2-1) and C18O(2-1) transitions. Therefore, they are well suited to trace the moderately dense (n ~ 103 cm-3) molecular gas in the Galactic ISM. The data also cover transitions from other molecules (SiO, DCO+, CH2O, CH3OH), typically found in higher density regions, and can be used to probe their physical conditions. With an angular resolution of 27'' and a 1-sigma sensitivity usually below 0.5 K at 0.25 km s-1 velocity resolution, this survey provides the most detailed view of interstellar matter in the southern outer Galaxy over a wide range of scales, from individual star-forming clumps to giant molecular clouds and complexes.
Structure, Excitation and Dynamics of the Inner Galactic Interstellar Medium
Website: https://sedigism.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de/index.html
Press release: MPIfR webpage, Astrobites webpage
Coverage video: Youtube link
Description: This survey (orange region) is a large scale (84 deg2) spectroscopic survey of the inner Galactic disc (see grey shaded region of the left panel of figure below). The main target lines are the 12CO(2-1), 13CO(2-1) and C18O(2-1) transitions, which have a much lower optical depth than that of the more commonly observed 12CO(1-0) transition. Therefore, they are well suited to trace the moderately dense (n ~ 103 cm-3) molecular gas in the Galactic ISM. The data also cover transitions from other molecules (SO, SiO, HNCO...), typically found in higher density regions, and can be used to probe their physical conditions.