From a Tiny Seed to a Massive Star: Active Gas Infall in the Earliest Stages of Clustered Star Formation

Abstract: Most stars form in massive, clustered star-forming regions, not in isolation. However, the formation of individual stars in these Galactic regions remains poorly understood because of their large distances and complex environments. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), we conducted a statistical study of cores, precursors of stars, in the earliest stage of high-mass star formation. Our results show that initial cores are not massive enough to form high-mass stars on their own, implying the need for additional mass growth. Kinematic analyses of molecular line emission reveal infalling gas around these cores, with infall velocity and mass infall rate significantly higher than in nearby low-mass star-forming regions. This dynamic gas infall can grow cores that are initially low in mass into high-mass stars, and more broadly, it appears to shape star formation across the full mass spectrum in these clustered environments. In this talk, I'll present recent ALMA results and discuss how such a dynamic gas infall transforms tiny seeds into massive stars.