Star-forming filaments and cores in molecular clouds
Continuum observations of molecular clouds have revealed a surprising
amount of substructure in the form of filaments of a few pc length and
cores of ~ 0.1 pc diameter. Understanding the evolution of these
substructures towards star formation requires the kinematic and
dynamical insights provided uniquely by sensitive cm – mm line
observations at high angular and spectral resolution. I will describe
the best probes of the dynamics of filaments and cores in nearby
star-forming molecular clouds, and recommendations for furthering our
understanding of star formation physics through observations over the
next decade. In particular, 150 x 18-m antennas with a maximum baseline
of 1 km can be used to map sensitively NH3 emission across high column
density locations in clouds in roughly an order of magnitude less time
than with the current Jansky VLA.
