The Birth of Massive Stars and Star Clusters

Abstract

In the present-day universe, it appears that most, and perhaps all, massive stars are born in star clusters. It also appears that all star clusters contain stars drawn from an approximately universal initial mass function, so that almost all rich young star clusters contain massive stars. In this review I discuss the physical processes associated with both massive star formation and with star cluster formation. First I summarize the observed properties of star-forming gas clumps, then address the following questions. How do these clumps emerge from giant molecular clouds? In these clustered environments, how do individual stars form and gain mass? Can a forming star cluster be treated as an equilibrium system or is this process too rapid for equilibrium to be established? How does feedback affect the formation process?

17 pages, Review article to appear in proceedings of the "Cores to Clusters" meeting held in Porto, Portugal, Oct. 2004. Comments welcome