The UV Perspective of Low-Mass Star Formation

TL;DR

This review discusses how ultraviolet observations are crucial for understanding the processes involved in low-mass star formation, including accretion, disk properties, and jets.

Contribution

It highlights the unique diagnostic capabilities of UV observations in studying star formation phenomena, emphasizing their importance in astrophysics.

Findings

UV diagnostics reveal accretion processes in young stars

UV observations characterize physical properties of protoplanetary disks

UV signatures help understand jets and outflows in star formation

Abstract

The formation of low-mass stars in molecular clouds involves accretion disks and jets, which are of broad astrophysical interest. Accreting stars represent the closest examples of these phenomena. Star and planet formation are also intimately connected, setting the starting point for planetary systems like our own. The ultraviolet (UV) spectral range is particularly suited to study star formation, because virtually all relevant processes radiate at temperatures associated with UV emission processes or have strong observational signatures in the UV. In this review, we describe how UV observations provide unique diagnostics for the accretion process, the physical properties of the protoplanetary disk, and jets and outflows.