The Formation and Early Evolution of Star Clusters

In the past decade, our picture of star and cluster formation has changed hugely, we now believe that many - if not most - stars form in clusters, and the process of star and cluster formation is extremely rapid and dynamic. This book will provide an overview of our current understanding of the formation and evolution of star clusters. This book will cover our understanding of how gas turns into stars and the structure and kinematics of very young star forming regions. It will then describe how we think these young star forming regions evolve into clusters before destroying themselves. It will also cover our understanding of young clusters in external galaxies, especially starbursts, and how these populations could evolve into globular cluster systems.