StarDance, the project that investigates the formation of stars

StarDance is the name of the project carried out by Elena Pancino, Italian researcher at INAF in Florence, who obtained funding of 2,5 million euros from European Research Council. Once again the Italians shine for their studies and their research onastrophysics.

The StarDance project

The title of the project, translated from English, is “dance of the stars”. StarDance will study the physical and chemical properties of exotic stellar populations in star clusters and the field population of the Milky Way. The name comes from the studies of the Professor Tummy on a type of "non-canonical" star, born from the interactions between binary stars which would merge, giving rise to a single more massive star. 

These populations of stars will be studied above all in star clusters, both open and globular, i.e. the "cradles" within which most stars form, thus making them very active environments from a chemical and dynamic point of view. The research will concern the formation mechanism of these stars. The thesis carried forward by the Italian scholar is that many exotic – so far misunderstood – populations in star clusters and the Milky Way are the result of mass exchange and fusion between pairs of stars.

The financing of the European Research Council (Erc)

This is the innovative proposal of the Italian researcher who has conquered the ERC Advanced Grant and the 2,5 million euro loan made available by European Research Council (Erc).

The project will start on November 1st and will be divided into a series of studies and research that will develop over the next five years.

THEERC has financed this innovative research which aims to finally give an answer to one of the atavistic questions that mankind asks itself: "How do stars form?"

Elena Pancino, university professor and scholar ofArcetri Astrophysical Observatory, will lead this interesting European project which is part of a context that is increasingly developing thanks to the many discoveries made by the various space missions which have allowed us to shed new light on such a fascinating topic as the formation of stars and stellar evolution.

Congratulations to our Italian researchers who dedicate themselves to scientific research and shine for their commitment and study recognized throughout the world.