Dissertation
They grow up so fast - Stellar accretion in a starburst cluster
When a star is born in our Galaxy, it is quite likely that it has formed within a massive cluster, which hosts numerous high-mass stars bathing their lower mass neighbours in UV radiation.
- Author
- C.R.E. Rogers
- Date
- 17 September 2025
- Links
- Thesis in Leiden Repository
As this new born stellar system grows by accreting material from its protoplanetary disc, it is also likely to move through significant ambient cluster material, in the form of interstellar gas and dust. It remains hotly debated the extent to which the formation of a star and its planets can be influenced by the environmental factors of external irradiation, and the presence of ambient material surrounding the system. This thesis focuses on stellar accretion in the starburst cluster - NGC 3603. Using JWST NIRSpec spectroscopy, the accretion properties of ordinary stars
in an extreme environment have been determined, with the aim of unveiling the influence of the external environment on stellar accretion.