Journal Article

Impact of Low-Energy Cosmic Rays on Star Formation

Indriolo, Nick, Ivlev, Alexei V., Bykov, Andrei M., Galli, Daniele, Girichidis, Philipp, Kruijssen, J. M. Diederik, Offner, Stella S. R., Rodgers-Lee, Donna, Marcowith, Alexandre, Padovani, Marco

2020

Overview

In recent years, exciting developments have taken place in the identification of the role of cosmic rays in star-forming environments. Observations from radio to infrared wavelengths and theoretical modelling have shown that low-energy cosmic rays ( < 1  TeV ) play a fundamental role in shaping the chemical richness of the interstellar medium, determining the dynamical evolution of molecular clouds. In this review we summarise in a coherent picture the main results obtained by observations and by theoretical models of propagation and generation of cosmic rays, from the smallest scales of protostars and circumstellar discs, to young stellar clusters, up to Galactic and extragalactic scales. We also discuss the new fields that will be explored in the near future thanks to new generation instruments, such as: CTA, for the γ -ray emission from high-mass protostars; SKA and precursors, for the synchrotron emission at different scales; and ELT/HIRES, JWST, and ARIEL, for the impact of cosmic rays on exoplanetary atmospheres and habitability.

• Publisher: Springer Netherlands,Springer Nature B.V,Springer Verlag
• Subject: Aerospace Technology and Astronautics / Astrochemistry / Astrophysics / Astrophysics and Astroparticles / Cosmic rays / Emission / Extrasolar planets / Gamma emission / Habitability / Interstellar chemistry / Interstellar matter / Interstellar medium / Molecular clouds / Physics / Physics and Astronomy / Planetary atmospheres / Planetology / Protostars / Space Exploration and Astronautics / Space Sciences (including Extraterrestrial Physics / Star & galaxy formation / Star clusters / Star Formation / Wavelengths