The Formation and Early Evolution of Star Clusters

In the past decade, our picture of star and cluster formation has changed hugely and we now believe that many -- if not most -- stars form in clusters, and the process of star and cluster formation is extremely rapid and dynamic. This book provides an overview of our current understanding of the formation and evolution of star clusters and it covers our understanding of how gas turns into stars and the structure and kinematics of very young star forming regions. The authors then describe how we think these young star forming regions evolve into clusters before destroying themselves. Finally, the book demonstrates our current understanding of young clusters in external galaxies, especially starbursts, and how these populations could evolve into globular cluster systems.

Readership: Academic, graduate students and professionals interested in astronomy and astrophysics.