Studies of Low-Mass Star Formation with ALMA

ALMA will revolutionize the study of star formation by providing a combination of angular resolution and sensitivity that far exceeds that of present instruments. I will focus on studies of relatively isolated cores that are forming low-mass stars. There is a general paradigm for the formation of such stars, and there are detailed theoretical predictions for the evolution of the density and velocity fields for different assumptions about the initial conditions. Because the theory is well developed, observational tests are particularly revealing. The primary probes of physical conditions in these regions are discussed and the sensitivity of ALMA to these probes is shown and compared to the current state of the art. The consequences for the ALMA requirements are discussed.