We studied the scaling properties of a sample of 65 ETGs at 1 < z < 2 with spectroscopic confirmation of their redshift and spectral type. The sample collects proprietary (Longhetti et al. 2007) and archival HST data and it is composed of 30 ETGs with HST-NICMOS observations (see Saracco et al. 2009) and of 35 ETGs from the GOODS-South field covered by HST-ACS observations. The whole sample is covered also by ground-based optical and near-IR observations while complementary mid-IR data (Spitzer or AKARI) are available for 45 galaxies. The study of the Kormendy, the size-luminosity and the size-mass relations of these ETGs shows that a large fraction (~50%) of them follows the local relations. These ’normal’ ETGs are not smaller (denser) than their local counterparts with comparable stellar mass, luminosity and surface brightness and no size evolution is required for them. On the contrary, the remaining half of the sample is composed of very compact ETGs with sizes (densities) 2.5-3 (15-30) times smaller (higher) than the other ETGs and than local ETGs. Thus, not all the high-z ETGs are superdense and, consequently, only some of them must experience size evolution showing that the evolutionary path of ETGs at 0 < z < 2 is not univocal. We also find that the stellar population of normal ETGs formed at 1.5 < zform < 3 while it formed at 2 < zform < 9 in compact ETGs. This suggests that different histories of mass assembly must take place at high-z to produce both the normal and the superdense ETGs seen at 1 < z < 2 (Saracco et al. 2010).

An unbiased sample of solar twins shows that the Sun has a normal Li abundance for its age and that a low Li abundance does not imply the presence of planets. We find a tight correlation between Li and age, which holds for all stars analyzed in our sample: solar twins, stars with and without detected giant planets, and stars that may host terrestrial planets.

In this talk a brief introduction is given to made-to-measure particle methods and their potential use for modeling the Milky Way Galaxy.

Jets have been observed from both neutron stars and black holes in binary X-ray sources. The neutron star jets are typically 30 times weaker than the black-hole ones. Thus, the second have been studied more extensively. Contrary to common belief, jets from compact X-ray sources are not simply “fireworks” that emit radio waves. I will demonstrate that they play a central role in the observed phenomena in both neutron star and black-hole systems. In particular, for black-hole jets, a simple jet model can explain the very stringent correlations that have been found between the power-law X-ray spectrum and a) the time lag between hard and soft X-rays and b) the characteristic frequencies observed in the power spectra. Up to now, no other model has even attempted to explain these correlations. I will present the weaknesses of the model and the improvements that need to be done to it.

We present Spitzer Space Telescope spectra of 147 stars (R~64 - 128, λλ = 5 - 35 μm, S/N~100) covering most spectral and luminosity classes within the HR diagram. The spectra are available from the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive (IRSA) and from the first author's webpage (http://web.ipac.caltech.edu/staff/ardila/Atlas/). The Atlas contains spectra of ‘typical’ stars, which may serve to refine galactic synthesis models, study stellar atmospheres, and establish a legacy for future IR missions, such as JWST.

The methanol multi-beam (MMB) survey has produced the largest and most complete catalogue of Galactic 6.7-GHz methanol masers to date. 6.7-GHz methanol masers are exclusively associated with high-mass star formation, and as such provide invaluable insight into the Galactic distribution and properties of high-mass star formation regions. I present the statistical properties of the MMB catalogue and, through the calculation of kinematic distances, investigate the resolution of distance ambiguities and explore the Galactic distribution.

A method is suggested to explore the gravitational wave background (GWB) in the frequency range from 10−12 to 10−8 Hz. That method is based on the precise measurements of pulsars' rotational parameters: the influence of the gravitational waves (GW) in the range will affect them and therefore some conclusions about energy density of the GWB can be made using analysis of the derivatives of pulsars' rotational frequency. The calculated values of the second derivative from a number of pulsars limit the density of GWB Ωgw as follows: Ωgwh2 < 10−6. Also, the time series of the frequency ν of different pulsars in pulsar array can be cross-correlated pairwise in the same manner as in anomalous residuals analysis thus providing the possibility of GWB detection in ultra-low frequency range.

Information about positions and velocities of stars that will be gained in the era of GAIA is crucial for determining dynamical structure in our Galaxy. The distribution function of all component objects in our Galaxy is fundamental for describing its dynamics. However, only the distribution function of observable stars is obtained from space astrometry observations, and it is therefore necessary to develop theoretical studies of how to construct the distribution function of all matter including dark matter and unobservable stars using astrometric data of observable stars. This procedure falls into three categories.

As I review here, planet formation in multiple stellar systems is far from exceptional. However, it appears that binaries with projected separation in the 5–100 AU range have different initial conditions and end result properties than wider systems, probably because they undergo different physical processes. In addition, very tight binaries, with projected separation less than a few AU, seem to fulfill all the known requirements to form planetary systems, suggesting that circumbinary planets are very likely to exist.

The recent progress in our understanding of the dynamics of muliti-phase interstellar medium (ISM) is reviewed. Non-linear perturbations (e.g., shock waves or time-dependent radiation field) lead to the interchange between warm phase and cold phase via thermal instability. Dynamical modelling of this phase transition dynamics is essential in describing ubiquitous turbulence in ISM and the formation of molecular clouds. A concept of magnetically multi-phase medium is introduced. Recent finding of the magnetic field amplification in the blast wave propagating in magnetized multi-phase ISM is providing a strong motivation for rapid acceleration of cosmic rays.

Although cataclysmic variables (CVs) come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, the essential ingredients are a compact primary star and a Roche-lobe-filling secondary. In most cases the cool component is a main sequence dwarf, and the compact component a white dwarf (WD). Material from the cool component flows through the inner Lagrangian point via an accretion disc onto the surface of the WD; the flow near the WD is significantly affected by the strength of the magnetic field the WD may have (see Warner for a review of CVs). CVs are characterised by regular eruptions, ranging in energetics and frequency from ‘dwarf novae’, in which eruptions of amplitude ~3-4 mag in the visual occur every few days to weeks, to classical novae (CNe) in which the eruption is explosive, due to thermonuclear runaway (TNR) in material accreted on the surface of the WD (see Bode & Evans for a review of CNe).

The entrainment of molecular material through a mixing layer along the walls of a HH jet beam has been modeled analytically (Cantó & Raga 1991; Stahler 1994) and numerically (Taylor & Raga 1995; Lim et al. 1999). However, when full radiative jet simulations are carried out, the molecular, environmental material remains within a dense shell which follows the shape of the leading bow shock. Because of this, no molecular material reaches the outer boundary of the jet beam, and therefore no “side-entrainment” of molecular gas into the fast jet beam takes place.

Around high-mass Young Stellar Objects (YSOs), outflows are expected to be launched and collimated by accretion disks inside radii of 100 AU. Strong observational constraints on disk-mediated accretion in this context have been scarce, largely owing to difficulties in probing the circumstellar gas at scales 10-100 AU around high-mass YSOs, which are on average distant (>1 Kpc), form in clusters, and ignite quickly whilst still enshrouded in dusty envelopes. Radio Source I in Orion BN/KL is the nearest example of a high-mass YSO, and only one of three YSOs known to power SiO masers. Using VLA and VLBA observations of different SiO maser transitions, the KaLYPSO project (http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/kalypso/) aims to overcome past observational limitations by mapping the structure, 3-D velocity field, and dynamical evolution of the circumstellar gas within 1000 AU from Source I. Based on 19 epochs of VLBA observations of v=1,2 SiO masers over ~2 years, we produced a movie of bulk gas flow tracing the compact disk and the base of the protostellar wind at radii < 100 AU from Source I. In addition, we have used the VLA to map 7mm SiO v=0 emission and track proper motions over 10 years. We identify a narrowly collimated outflow with a mean motion of 18 km/s at radii 100-1000 AU, along a NE-SW axis perpendicular to that of the disk traced by the v=1,2 masers. The VLBA and VLA data exclude alternate models that place outflow from Source I along a NW-SE axis. The analysis of the complete (VLBA and VLA) dataset provides the most detailed evidence to date that high-mass star formation occurs via disk-mediated accretion.

One of the most significant observational improvements allowed by the high quality Chandra data of galaxies is the measurement of the nuclear luminosities down to low values, and of the hot ISM properties down to very low gas contents. I present here some recent developements concerning the possibility of accreting and outflowing gas, based on modeling results that take into account the role of a central supermassive black hole (MBH).

Numerical simulations play an increasingly important role in investigating accretion disks and associated phenomena such as jets. This paper provides a few examples of recent results that have been obtained with simulations, both local or global.

The JCMT Legacy Survey (JLS) is an ambitious programme of independent surveys to study our Galaxy and universe in the submillimetre (λ = 450 − 850 μm) from the summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii. With its scientific breadth and unique spectral window, it is clear that the JLS will have a significant impact on star formation studies in the near future and beyond. Its complementarity with other surveys (e.g. Spitzer, Herschel) will make the JLS a very valuable resource for multi-wavelength studies for low and high-mass star formation across the Milky Way. The JLS is currently in its second year of operation.

We determine the primordial helium mass fraction Yp using 1700 spectra of low-metallicity extragalactic H ii regions. This sample is selected from the Data Release 7 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, from European Southern Observatory archival data and from our own observations. We have considered known systematic effects which may affect the 4He abundance determination. They include collisional and fluorescent enhancements of He i recombination lines, underlying He i and hydrogen stellar absorption lines, collisional excitation of hydrogen lines, temperature and ionization structure of the H ii region. Monte Carlo methods are used to solve simultaneously the above systematic effects. We find a primordial helium mass fraction Yp = 0.2512 ± 0.0006(stat.) ± 0.0020 (syst.). This value is higher than the value given by Standard Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (SBBN) theory. If confirmed, it would imply slight deviations from SBBN.

Lithium has long been known to be a good tracer of non-standard mixing processes occurring in stellar interiors. Here we present the results of a large survey aimed at determining the surface Li abundance in a sample of about 800 giant (RGB and AGB) stars with accurate Hipparcos parallaxes. We compare the observed Li behaviour with that predicted by stellar models including rotation and thermohaline mixing.

The early solar system represents the only case we have of a circumstellar disk that can be investigated “in situ” -albeit 4.6 Gyr after its formation. Meteorites studies give mounting evidence for an intense irradiation phase of the young circumsolar disk by energetic particles, and also for contamination by products of high-mass stellar and/or explosive nucleosynthesis. We thus discuss the conditions of the birth of the solar system in a high-mass star environment.