Protostars interact violently with their natal cocoons within dense molecular clouds. Characterizing this feedback is key to understanding the efficiency of the star formation process and the... Show moreProtostars interact violently with their natal cocoons within dense molecular clouds. Characterizing this feedback is key to understanding the efficiency of the star formation process and the chemical processing of material that will be available for planet formation. In this thesis, the imprints of physical processes on molecular gas are analyzed using state-of-the-art far-infrared spectroscopy from Herschel / PACS. Interpretation of the origin of far-infrared line emission allows us to quantify the physical conditions and the role of shocks and ultraviolet radiation during the 'kindergarten years' of low- and high-mass protostars. Show less
Star and planet formation is intimately linked through the protostellar disk. Understanding the formation and evolution of this disk is crucial to determine the physical and chemical processes that... Show moreStar and planet formation is intimately linked through the protostellar disk. Understanding the formation and evolution of this disk is crucial to determine the physical and chemical processes that occur from the formation of dense molecular clouds to the emergence of life. Yet, the formation and early evolution of the protostellar disk are still not well explored. This thesis presents both observational and theoretical aspects of the early stages of disk formation and evolution. Hydrodynamical simulations of disk formation are coupled with multi-frequency continuum radiative transfer to determine the dust temperature. The detailed dust temperature structure is crucial for the construction of chemical structure. Observational predictions are simulated through molecular line radiative transfer methods to be compared with spectrally and spatially resolved data. By comparing these predictions with observational data, it is possible to link the disk formation process with planet formation Show less
