Springer Star Formation: 83 (Space Sciences Series of ISSI, 83)

The review papers in this volume provide an in-depth examination of complex astrophysical phenomena of star formation via multi-wavelength observations and modeling.  Among the fundamental issues discussed in the book are:  The role of gravity and magnetized turbulence in the formation and evolution of molecular clouds The stellar feedback (supernovae, HII regions, winds, cosmic rays) in regulating star formation  The origin of the stellar initial mass function and its universality across various environments  Jets, magnetic fields and high energy particles in stellar clusters The origin of the first stars and black holes The goal of these papers is to review the major processes governing star formation and to investigate how they are interlinked. In doing so, they provide an in-depth look at the tremendous theoretical and observational progress that has been made in the recent past and also outline future perspectives. Previously published in  Space Science Reviews in the Topical Collection "Star Formation” From the Back Cover The review papers in this volume provide an in-depth examination of complex astrophysical phenomena of star formation via multi-wavelength observations and modeling.  Among the fundamental issues discussed in the book are:  The role of gravity and magnetized turbulence in the formation and evolution of molecular clouds The stellar feedback (supernovae, HII regions, winds, cosmic rays) in regulating star formation  The origin of the stellar initial mass function and its universality across various environments  Jets, magnetic fields and high energy particles in stellar clusters The origin of the first stars and black holes The goal of these papers is to review the major processes governing star formation and to investigate how they are interlinked. In doing so, they provide an in-depth look at the tremendous theoretical and observational progress that has been made in the recent past and also outline future perspectives. Previously published in  Space Science Reviews in the Topical Collection "Star Formation” About the Author Andrei Bykov is head of High Energy Astrophysics laboratory in the Ioffe Institute, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. His principal research interests are theory and observations of processes in astrophysical objects with extreme energy release ‐ supernovae, gamma‐ray bursts and clusters of galaxies. He is author and coauthor of over 250 scientific publications, a book on  Turbulence, Current Sheets and Shocks in Cosmic Plasmas and editor of seven books on high energy astrophysics. Corinne Charbonnel is professor of Astrophysics at the University of Geneva (Switzerland) and Senior Researcher at CNRS (France). She was the President of the French Society of Astronomy and Astrophysics (SF2A) and of Division G (Stars and Stellar Physics) of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). She has pioneered studies of the impact of magnetohydrodynamical mechanisms on the transport of angular momentum and of chemicals in stellar interiors. She studies the broad consequences of these processes on stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis, planet habitability, stellar population properties across cosmic time, and the chemical and dynamical evolution of star clusters and galaxies. Patrick Hennebelle is an expert of the star formation process and the dynamics of the interstellar medium. He performs heavy numerical simulations that he confronts on one hand to analytical models and on the other hand to observations. He has particularly been working on the formation of molecular clouds, the collapse of dense cores, the formation of planet-forming discs and the origin of the stellar initial mass function.  Alexandre Marcowith is staff researcher in the high-energy astrophysics department at Montpellier university. His research is centred on the physics and Astrophysics of Cosmic Rays focusing on accelerat