Speaker:
　　 Dr. Di LI

Affiliation:
　　 JPL/Caltech

Time:
　　 1:30pm, December 4 (Friday) 

Location:
　　 Middle conf. room, 3rd floor

Abstract:
Since the discovery of the first interstellar spectral line, the HI spin reversal transition at 21 cm, radio telescopes have been the  driving force in studying interstellar medium, galactic structure, and star formation. Using a novel method, HI Narrow Self-Absorption  (HINSA), we have been studying the composition and formation time scale of molecular clouds. I will discuss the background and recent  progress in this area. In the shorter wavelength bands up to millimeter, I will introduce our efforts at constraining the 3d  structure of filament through a direct measurement of volume density based on multiple transitions of HC3N. In the even higher frequency  bands up to TeraHertz, I will discuss our higher resolution study of massive cores with the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter  Astronomy (CARMA) and the Submillimeter Array (SMA). Through the difficulties and some successes experienced in these projects, I hope  to convey to you the great promise future radio telescopes, such as FAST and Herschel, hold for our understanding of star formation.