Testing models of triggered star formation: theory and observation

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the impact of diffuse radiation on triggered star formation models using advanced simulations, and assesses observational diagnostics for identifying radiatively driven implosion in bright rimmed clouds.

Contribution

It introduces detailed Monte Carlo simulations to improve the accuracy of RDI models and tests observational diagnostics against these models.

Findings

Diffuse radiation significantly affects RDI outcomes.

SEDs and images can diagnose bright rimmed cloud conditions.

Improved modeling links observations more accurately to star formation processes.

Abstract

One of the main reasons that triggered star formation is contentious is the failure to accurately link the observations with models in a detailed, quantitative, way. It is therefore critical to continuously test and improve the model details and methods with which comparisons to observations are made. We use a Monte Carlo radiation transport and hydrodynamics code TORUS to show that the diffuse radiation field has a significant impact on the outcome of radiatively driven implosion (RDI) models. We also calculate SEDs and synthetic images from the models to test observational diagnostics that are used to determine bright rimmed cloud conditions and search for signs of RDI.