Richard Henriksen

Birth of Stars

My interests have ranged widely over the field of astrophysics. At present a major theme is the attempt to construct a detailed model of the birth of stars. We should remember that the stars provide the light and heat of our Universe and as such are probably its dominant characteristic. We know that star birth occurs mainly in the cold molecular clouds of galaxies, but we do not understand fully the processes that lead to intense beams of matter that are ejected in diametrically opposed directions as the star forms and proceeds through its early evolution. Nor do we understand the way in which the enormous magnetic flux and angular momentum associated with the diffuse material that eventually forms the star is reduced to values compatible with the existence of the star. It is likely however that this reduction is what is happening when the beams are formed in conjunction with the giant X-ray flares that also seem to be associated with the birth of young stars.