Hayashi and the Thermal Physics of Star-Forming Clouds

Abstract

This brief historical review highlights the early work of Hayashi and his associates on the thermal physics of star-forming clouds, as summarized in the temperature-density diagrams first presented by this group. Some of the more recent developments in this subject, including its application to understanding stellar masses and to understanding the formation of the first stars, are also briefly reviewed.

arXiv commentPresented at the meeting on "First Stars IV" in Kyoto, Japan, May 21-25, 2012, honoring Chushiro Hayashi