We give a brief report on spectroscopic properties of V 393 Scorpii. Hα emission and shape and radial velocity of He I5875 are modulated with the long cycle. The long cycle is explained as a relaxation cycle in the circumprimary disc, that cumulates the mass transferred from the donor until certain instability produces disc depletion.

We derive photometric metallicities for 56 intermediate-age and old star clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud from the slopes of their red-giant branches in near-infrared color–magnitude diagrams (CMDs). The cluster sample covers the LMC bar and disk to a distance of ~2 kpc from the LMC center. The derived cluster metallicity distribution spans a range of [Fe/H] = +0.0 . . . 1.4 and is similar to the metallicity distribution of field stars. We find that the average cluster metallicities in certain fields of the LMC bar and disk may be different, but there seems to be no compelling evidence for a global cluster metallicity gradient in the LMC.

We present a characterization method based on spectral cross-correlation to obtain the physical parameters of the controversial stellar aggregate ESO442–SC04. The data used was obtained with GMOS at the Gemini South telescope, and includes spectra of 17 stars in the central region of the object and 6 standard stars. fxcor was used iteratively to obtain self-consistent radial velocities for the standard stars and average radial velocities for the science spectra. Spectral types, effective temperatures, surface gravities and metallicities were determined using fxcor to correlate cluster spectra with the ELODIE spectral library and select the best correlation matches using the Tonry & Davis ratio. Analysis of the results suggests that the stars in ESO442–SC04 are not bound and, therefore, they do not constitute a physical system.

Work done to date on the SMBH mass function has brought to light some interesting puzzles, the best known of which is cosmic downsizing. The solution to this problem is based upon the methodology by which we determine SMBH masses, which comes mainly from studies of active galaxies. The most massive SMBHs cease to be active at earlier epochs than their less massive counterparts, thus leading to an apparent decrease in the SMBH mass function with time. The larger SMBHs should still be present in the local Universe, but they lie in quiescent galaxies. This lack of certainty reflects the biggest gap in the observational record – the mass of SMBHs in quiescent galaxies.

Optical/near-infrared observations of 14 globular cluster (GC) systems in early-type galaxies are presented. We investigate the recent claims (Yoon et al. 2006) of colour bimodality in GC systems being an artefact of the nonlinear colour–metallicity transformation driven by horizontal-branch morphology. Taking advantage of the fact that the combination of optical and near-infrared colours can, in principle, break the age/metallicity degeneracy we also analyse age distributions in these systems.

The snow line in a gas disk is defined as the distance from the star beyond which the water ice is stable against evaporation. Since oxygen is the most abundant element after hydrogen and helium, the presence of ice grains can have important consequences for disk evolution. However, determining the position of the snow line is not simple. I discuss some of the important processes that affect the position of the snow line.

Super star clusters (SSCs) are young massive objects typically observed in starburst galaxies. They consist of millions of stars occupying volumes only several parsecs across. Recent infrared observations of SSCs reveal strong emission lines with moderately supersonic widths (FWHM ~ 50 – 100 km s−1). An additional, much broader and weaker line component is present in some cases. Using 2D and 3D hydrodynamic simulations, we study models of SSCs in the so-called bimodal regime, which occurs if the stellar density inside the cluster exceeds a certain limit. We confirm the existence of the bimodal solution predicted analytically and suggest an explanation for double-component line profiles: the narrow component is formed close to the cluster center by repressurizing shocks compressing the rarefied gas cooled down due to the thermal instability into dense cold clumps, while the broad component is created by the wind, which cools down at a certain distance from the cluster.

We discuss the origin of the early-B-type runaway star HD 271791 and show that its extremely high velocity (≃530 − 920km s−1) cannot be explained within the framework of the binary–supernova ejection scenario. Instead, we suggest that HD 271791 attained its peculiar velocity in the course of a strong dynamical encounter between two hard, massive binaries or through an exchange encounter between a hard, massive binary and a very massive star, formed through runaway mergers of ordinary massive stars in the dense core of a young massive star cluster.

In this paper I present a brief summary of recent advances in the fields of stellar evolution, stellar model atmospheres, and stellar spectral libraries, which allow us to build more realistic stellar population synthesis models than those available up to now. Applications of these models to problems of current interest are discussed. Problems that need to be understood and data sets that need to be collected in order to solve issues present in these models are listed.

The globular cluster luminosity function distribution shows a peak at MV ≈ −7.5 mag. There are some indications that the kinematic parameters are correlated with luminosity. In particular, Alfaro et al. (2001) have studied the properties of the Galactic globular cluster system and they found a correlation between spatial-velocity component and globular cluster absolute magnitude. The authors assumed that the globular clusters can be separated into two groups. The first is composed of globular clusters with MV < −7.5 mag and moving preferentially towards the north Galactic pole, while the faintest globular clusters, composing the second group, move towards the Galactic disk. We have selected a sample of globular clusters using the same criteria as Alfaro et al. (2001) and have checked that this apparent relation indeed exists. Nevertheless, we decided to investigate whether it could be a fortuitous relation or an intrinsic property by checking its validity for eight different epochs at past and future times. The orbital parameters for the globular clusters at these eight epochs were found by orbital integration using a typical Galactic potential. We show that this relation between the vertical velocity component and the absolute magnitude among globular clusters is not coherent with time and the velocity distribution does not support the hypothesis of Alfaro et al. for the existence of two dynamical groups of globular clusters.

We employ IRTF SpeX NIR (0.8–2.4μm) spectra to investigate the stellar population (SP), active galactic nuclei (AGN), featureless continuum (FC) and hot dust properties in 9 Sy 1 and 15 Sy 2 galaxies. Both the starlight code and the hot dust as an additional base element were used for the first time in this spectral range. Our synthesis shows significant differences between Sy 1 and Sy 2 galaxies: the hot dust component is required to fit the K-band spectra of ~90% of the Sy 1 galaxies, and only of ~25% of the Sy 2; about 50% of the Sy 2 galaxies require an FC component contribution ≳20%; this fraction increases to about 60% in the Sy 1. In about 50% of the Sy2, the combined FC and young components contribute with more than 20%, while this occurs in 90% of the Sy1, suggesting recent star formation in the central region. The central few hundred parsecs of our galaxy sample contain a substantial fraction of intermediate-age SPs with a mean metallicity near solar. Our SP synthesis confirms that the 1.1μm CN band can be used as a tracer of intermediate-age stellar populations.

Over the last few years, different observations have suggested the existence of intermediate-mass (~103 M⊙) black holes in the centers of globular clusters. However, the issue is still a matter of debate, as current observations have alternative explanations. We previously developed a hydrodynamical model for the interstellar medium in these systems to explain the luminosity of the central X-ray source found in NGC 6388, assuming a black hole accreting from the insterstellar medium. Here, we explore the predictions of our model regarding the flow of the interstellar matter in the inner cluster regions and find that the density and velocity profiles could help to determine the presence of a central black hole as well as its mass.

Our research addresses the observed evolution of MBH and L/LEdd of type 1 radio-quiet AGNs. Measurements of MBH and L/LEdd in a sample of sources at z<0.75 using the “Hβ method” (Netzer & Trakkhtenbrot 2007) as well as new measurements of these properties at 0.75<z<2 using the “Mg ii λ2798 method”) show significant evolution of L/LEdd for any value of MBH up to z = 2 (see Figure 1). In a dedicated near-IR project we obtained the most reliable sample of MBH and L/LEdd estimates for z ~ 2.3 and z ~ 3.4 AGN (Netzer et al. 2007; Shemmer et al. 2004); the distribution of L/LEdd is very broad (Figure 1) and ~ 1/2 of the sources have L/LEdd<0.2, implying tgrowth>tuniverse and hence an earlier epoch of fast growth. Our on-going Gemini–VLT campaign focuses on z ~ 4.8 sources, with the Mg ii line observed in the H-band (Figure 2). The analysis of ~ 1/3 of the spectra uncovers, again, a broad distribution of L/LEdd, with several sources having L/LEdd ≫ 1, suggesting an early episode of fast BH growth.

We present results from a survey of the properties of the central black holes in nearby AGN. This shows that AGN radiating near Eddington are on average less massive now than at z ~ 1.

We present blue optical spectra of 92 members of h and χ Per obtained with the WIYN telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. From these spectra, several stellar parameters were measured for the B-type stars, including v sin i, Teff, log gpolar, M∗, and R∗. Strömgren photometry was used to measure Teff and log gpolar for the Be stars. We also analyze photometric data of cluster members and discuss the near- to mid-infrared excesses of Be stars.

We construct the dynamic portrait of the inner asteroidal belt using the information about the distribution of the test particles, which were initially placed on a perfectly rectangular grid of initial conditions, after 4.2 Myr of gravitational interactions with the Sun and five planets, from Mars to Neptune. Using the Spectral Analysis Method introduced by Michtchenko et al. (2002), we illustrate the asteroidal behaviour on the dynamical maps. We superpose over the maps the information on the proper elements and proper frequencies of the real objects, extracted from the database AstDyS (Milani & Knežević 1994; Knežević & Milani 2003). The comparison of the maps with the distribution of the real objects allows us to detect possible dynamical mechanisms acting in the domain under study: these mechanisms are related to mean-motion and secular resonances. Their long-lasting action, overlaying with the Yarkovsky effect, may explain many observed features of the distribution of the asteroids.

We analyse the dark matter (DM) distribution in a ≈1012M⊙ halo extracted from a simulation consistent with the concordance cosmology, where the physics regulating the transformation of gas into stars was allowed to change producing galaxies with different morphologies. Although the DM profiles get more concentrated as baryons are collected at the centre of the haloes compared to a pure dynamical run, the total baryonic mass alone is not enough to fully predict the reaction of the DM profile. Our findings suggest that the response of the DM halo is driven by the history of assembly of baryons into a galaxy. The accretion of satellites could be associated with an expansion of the dark matter profiles, triggered by angular momentum transfer from the incoming satellites. However, we also found that these mechanism have different efficiencies which are set by the history of formation of the structure.

I describe ways in which state-of-the-art cosmological simulations are modeling the growth and evolution of supermassive black holes (feeding), and the impact of the energy that they release on galaxies and their surroundings (feedback). I then discuss how this new picture of interconnected co-evolution of galaxies and black holes provides plausible explanations for several of the mysteries that have long vexed theorists studying galaxy formation within the hierarchical cold dark matter paradigm.

The symposium has shown the dynamism of this rapidly evolving discipline. I shall concentrate here on some highlights and some complementary informations. I conclude on open questions with some perspectives on solar & stellar activity and related planets.

We apply two nonlinear techniques, kurtosis and phase coherence index, to analyze magnetic field measurements from SOHO MDI solar images, ACE and Cluster data in the solar wind, and ground magnetometers in Brazil. We focus on two events: a non-ICME event in February 2002 and an ICME event in January 2005. Finite degree of non-Gaussianity and phase synchronization are observed in all datasets. The nonlinear response of the Earth's geomagnetic field to an ICME event in the solar wind is discussed.