The interstellar medium: from molecules to star formation

TL;DR

This paper reviews the complex physics and chemistry of the interstellar medium, emphasizing its role in star formation and galactic evolution, highlighting the interconnected processes shaping the universe.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive summary of current knowledge on the ISM's physics and chemistry, focusing on star formation and its environmental interactions.

Findings

ISM contains matter essential for star and planet formation

Interactions with radiation, turbulence, magnetic and gravitational fields influence ISM dynamics

Star formation processes are closely linked to the surrounding interstellar environment

Abstract

The interstellar medium (ISM) is a very complex medium which contains the matter needed to form stars and planets. The ISM is in permanent interaction with radiation, turbulence, magnetic and gravitational fields, and accelerated particles. Everything that happens in this medium has consequences on the dynamics and evolution of the Galaxy, resulting the link that relates the stellar scale with the galactic one. Thus, the study of the ISM is crucial to advance in the knowledge of stellar and galactic astrophysics. In this article I present a summary of what we know about the physics and chemistry of this medium, giving an special emphasis on star formation, and how the processes related to the stars birth and evolution interrelate with the environment that surrounds them.