Astrophysicist Kathryn Z. Hadley Ph.D uses this web site to discuss physics relevant to her research in magnetohydrodynamics, disk formation and as a instructional aid for the courses she teaches.

Star formation in the Carina Nebula

These immense molecular clouds in the Carina Nebula are sites of ongoing star formation. Sculpted by stellar winds, shock waves and the inward pull of gravity, the densest nodules are the beginnings of a new cluster of stars. Visible at the top of the "highest" pillar is a pair of jets signaling that a star is coming into being. These jets shock into the surrounding matter. They are known as Herbig-Haro objects. The stability of plasma shocks like these is one topic of my ongoing research.

Image credit: NASA, ESA, and M. Livio and the Hubble 20th Anniversary Team (STScI)