NANTEN map of a section of the Milky Way, showing a number of Giant Molecular Clouds in the constellation of Carina. The box shows where we are focussing follow-up efforts using the Australia Telescope Compact Array to make high-resolution maps of ammonia emission from these star-forming clouds.

In 2003 I have continued my work on star formation. The main project, in collaboration with Phillip Myers of Harvard University is to collect a large dataset on medium-mass protostars, in order to understand their evolution and role in galactic ecology. To this end a number of observing programmes were awarded time on Australian and international telescopes in 2003 (Mopra, the Australia Telescope’s Compact Array, and the Swedish-ESO Submillimetre Telescope). These observing programmes were very successful and the analysis of the data is continuing. First results on the demographics of medium-mass protostars will be ready in early 2004.

Another large project, in collaboration with Y. Yonekura and other members of the NANTEN group at Nagoya University, as well as N. McClure-Griffiths (ATNF), is a pilot project for surveying the Milky Way using radiation from interstellar ammonia molecules. This chemical is thought to be one of the best tracers for the cold, dense molecular gas that is the precursor to the formation of new stars in our galaxy. A complete survey of this molecule’s emission would yield a wealth of new information on many aspects of high-mass star formation. The pilot project was completed in 2003 and analysis of these data continues as well.

Peter Barnes