Student Projects
Because high-mass stars are cosmic engines that heavily influence galaxy evolution and create the elements necessary for planets and life, my main motivation as a researcher is to understand how high-mass stars form. I am driven by curiosity, guided by critical thinking, and built upon the learning and application of physics. If you decide to join this group, you will be immersed in an international team, gain expertise in radio astronomy and interferometry (ALMA, VLA), and enhance your English skills through interactions with international researchers in Japan and visiting scientists from abroad.
Admission to the Graduate Program (Master/PhD)
It is recommended that you contact me in advance and follow the instructions provided by the School of Science. For Japanese students check here and for international students check here.
Visiting Graduate Students (Master/PhD)
If you are interested in spending time working with me in Japan at The University of Tokyo, please let me know so we can discuss potential projects. Having funding from your own institution or country makes this plan more feasible. If not, it may still be possible depending on my available time at the moment. It may be possible to apply for student visitor funding through Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS); more information is available here.
Research Projects for Undergraduate and Graduate Students
1.- Early Stages of High-mass Star Formation
Although some advances have been made in recent years in characterizing the early stages of high-mass star formation —especially through the ASHES Survey— many open questions remain. What are the energetics of young cores? Does the magnetic field play a role? Is the infall rate high enough to transform low- or intermediate-mass cores into high-mass ones capable of forming high-mass stars? What are the temperatures in deeply embedded prestellar cores destined to form high-mass stars? Many of these questions can be addressed by studying infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) using cutting-edge radio interferometers like ALMA and the VLA. Observations from ASHES and ALMA-UNIC are already in hand for analysis, but new ideas from students are always welcome!
2.- Magnetic Fields in High-mass Star Formation
The magnetic field is one of the four fundamental forces in nature. Although difficult, within the Solar System we can directly measure its strength and assess its importance. Unfortunately, at greater distances, we must rely on more indirect methods. One of the biggest challenges in star formation is evaluating how important the magnetic field is in the process of star formation. Only recently, with the advent of ALMA, have we begun to elucidate its role. Using dust polarization observations, we can statistically assess its influence compared to other energies at play. Observations from MagMaR and upcoming higher angular resolution studies will reveal the role of the magnetic field in the formation of high-mass stars. With these new observations, we will also investigate how the magnetic field influences infall streamers and possibly make the first detections of magnetic fields in accretion disks feeding high-mass stars. Future Zeeman observations will enable more accurate measurements of magnetic field strength. We are currently mapping hundreds of star-forming regions to identify the most promising targets for Zeeman experiments with ALMA.
3.- Binary Formation, Accretion Disks, Infall Streamers, Chemistry
Around 50% of solar-type stars are in binary systems, while this fraction rises to ~90% for high-mass stars. What drives this difference remains unclear, and answering this question requires the longest baselines that ALMA can provide. While the formation of high-mass stars through accretion disks is theoretically expected, we have little observational evidence. What are the properties of accretion disks around high-mass stars? Are they Keplerian, as in the low-mass regime? Infall streamers appear to play an important role in feeding accretion disks —or perhaps directly feeding the stars themselves— but only a few have been detected at small scales. With DIHCA (30 fields) and a follow-up project targeting 70 new sources, we aim to study multiplicity, accretion disks, and infall streamers in the high-mass regime. Given the large number of molecular lines detected, these datasets also offer an opportunity to explore the chemistry unique to high-mass star-forming regions, which may differ significantly from that in nearby low-mass regions due to distinct physical conditions. Most of this research can be carried out using radio interferometers such as ALMA and the VLA, but complementary data from IR (JWST, TAO) can provide valuable insights. Students with interest or experience in infrared astronomy are also welcome!