Star Formation Fields

Star formation is governed in large part by the interplay of gravity, turbulence, magnetic fields, and stellar feedback. Over the past decade, new surveys and analysis techniques have revealed these processes with unprecedented clarity in the local kiloparsec of the Milky Way, where stellar nurseries can be studied down to sub-parsec scales. The time is now ripe to connect this wealth of local knowledge to the broader galactic context.

The goal of Star Formation Fields (Crete IV) is to bring together interstellar medium (ISM) and star formation researchers working on recent large-scale surveys and simulations that integrate the main multiple physical fields governing large-scale (from pc to kpc) star formation. A key objective is to bridge the local ISM and its star formation fields with the extragalactic context. By doing so, we aim to advance a unified picture of how star formation operates across environments, from molecular clouds in our Galactic neighborhood to star-forming regions in nearby galaxies.

The conference will be limited to about 100 participants to foster intensive discussion and collaborative problem solving. With no traditional poster sessions, participants will have the opportunity to present electronic posters on the web, complemented by short oral highlights, ensuring that every contribution is visible.

The venue, the historic Neratze Mosque in Rethymno, Crete, a building that has hosted different worldviews throughout its centuries-long history, will provide an inspiring setting that encourages the exchange of ideas and creative collaboration.

Star Formation Fields will bring together experts in ISM and star formation. Given the limited time available, the meeting will focus mainly on scales from pc to kpc. In particular, we will address:

• Fields as forces: the role of gravitational, velocity, and magnetic fields in shaping the ISM and regulating star formation.
• Fields as regions: key nearby star-forming environments such as Scorpius–Centaurus and Orion, alongside star formation complexes in nearby galaxies.
• Fields as methods: new approaches such as Information Field Theory, Bayesian inference, and 3D tomographic maps of gas density in the local kiloparsec, enabling reconstruction of ISM structures and flows.
• Bridging scales: place the detailed view of the local Milky Way within the comparative framework of external galaxies.