By analogy to the iterative taste tests carried out by brave chefs trying
to replicate a dish for which they have no recipe, I will argue that we
need to "taste" simulations of star-forming regions in the same way we
"taste" real regions: by subjecting them to a host of observations, each
type of
which probes a unique set of physical properties.
By way of example, I will present a new, topologically-oriented, "tasting"
technique that can break up the material in a star-forming region into a
set of hierarchical structures. The technique relies upon
"dendrograms" (tree diagrams) to describe structure. The dendrogram
results give what appears to be a more realistic view of cloud structure
than pictures offered by non-hierarchical methods (e.g. CLUMPFIND), and we
are able to delineate self-gravitating structures, as well as unbound
structures, on a variety of scales.
The talk will include a demonstration of the "Star Formation Taste
Tests" online collaboratory we have established. To see, and/or be added
to, the collaborative online "Star Formation Taste Tests" site please email
agoodman@cfa.harvard.edu.
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