Simulations of cloud/cloud collisions using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (astronomy)

Cloud/cloud collisions are a frequent occurence in disc galaxies like our own Milky Way. Such collisions deter-mine the statistical properties of the cloud population, and the internal structures of the clouds. In addition, collisions may trigger the formation of clusters of stars, which then expand and disperse.
The aim will be to construct realistic clouds, simulate collisions between them, using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics, and follow the processes that lead to the formation of new stars (in particular the role of filaments in assembling the material that ends up in stars, the characteristics of these filaments, how they compare with the different filamentary structures observed in nature, and what distinguishes these filaments from ones that do not spawn stars), what circumstances lead to the formation of massive stars, and how the resulting
star clusters and residual gas disperse. The student will become expert in interstellar gas dynamics and the associated chemical and
radiative processes, triggered star formation, numerical hydrodynamics and stellar dynamics.