Related papers: The Gould Belt, star formation, and the local inte…
Recent results indicate the stellar initial mass function is not a strong function of star-forming environment or ``initial conditions'' (e.g. Meyer et al. 2000). Some studies suggest that a universal IMF may extend to sub-stellar masses…
In this article I review recent observations of the gaseous halos of galaxies and the intergalactic medium at low redshift. In the first part I discuss distribution, metal content, and physical properties of the Galactic intermediate- and…
Recent studies have shown that an extended main-sequence turn-off is a common feature among intermediate-age clusters (1--3 Gyr) in the Magellanic Clouds. Multiple-generation star formation and stellar rotation or interacting binaries have…
The model of a Local Hot Bubble has been widely accepted as providing a framework that can explain the ubiquitous presence of the soft X-ray background diffuse emission. We summarize the current knowledge on this local interstellar region,…
Irregular (Irr) galaxies are gas-rich objects with recent or ongoing star formation. In absence of spiral density waves, star formation occurs largely stochastically. The scattered star-forming regions tend to be long-lived and migrate…
The isothermal dynamical evolution of a clumpy and turbulent molecular cloud region and its fragmentation into a protostellar cluster is investigated numerically. The effect of different initial density and velocity distributions, generated…
Globular Cluster (GC) formation seems to be a widespread mode of star formation in extreme starbursts triggered by strong interactions and mergers of massive gas-rich galaxies. We use our detailed chemically consistent evolutionary…
The properties of old globular cluster systems in galaxy halos are used to infer quantitative constraints on aspects of generic star (cluster) formation. First, the spatial distribution of globulars in three large galaxies, together with…
Planetesimal belts are ubiquitous around nearby stars, and their spatial properties hold crucial information for planetesimal and planet formation models. We present resolved dust observations of 74 planetary systems as part of the REsolved…
We present the analysis of the interstellar gamma-ray emission measured by the Fermi Large Area Telescope toward a region in the second Galactic quadrant at 100 deg < l < 145 deg and -15 deg < b < +30 deg. This region encompasses the…
I model the multi-phase interstellar medium (ISM) randomly heated and shocked by supernovae, with gravity, differential rotation and other parameters we understand to be typical of the solar neighbourhood. The simulations are 3D extending…
Using the Mid-Infrared Spectrometer (MIRS) on board the Infrared Telescope in Space (IRTS) we obtained the 4.5 to 11.7 micron spectra of the stellar populations and diffuse interstellar medium in the Galactic bulge (l = 8.7 degree, b = 2.9,…
We investigate the evolution, following gas dispersal, of a star cluster produced from a hydrodynamical calculation. We find that when the gas, initially comprising 60% of the mass, is removed, the system settles into a bound cluster…
A new analytical 3D model of interstellar extinction within 500 pc of the Sun as a function of the Galactic spherical coordinates is suggested. This model is physically more justified than the widely used Arenou model, since it takes into…
Stars mostly form in groups consisting of a few dozen to several ten thousand members. For 30 years, theoretical models provide a basic concept of how such star clusters form and develop: they originate from the gas and dust of collapsing…
Combining results for the local cosmic rate and mean peak luminosity of GRBs with the cosmic history of the star formation rate, we provide estimates for the local GRB rate per unit blue luminosity in galaxies. We find a typical GRB rate…
Last years studies have shown that the spatial regularity in the distribution of young stellar population along the spiral arms and rings of galaxies, previously considered to be rare, is a fairly common phenomenon. Spatial regularity has…
High redshift disc galaxies are more gas rich, clumpier, and more turbulent than local Universe galaxies. This early era of galaxy formation imprints the distribution and kinematics of the stars that we observe today, but it is not yet well…
The development of our understanding of the gaseous component of the interstellar medium is reviewed. During the 20th century our picture of diffuse material in space has grown from a simple model of isolated clouds in thermal equilibrium…
In this contribution I summarize our current knowledge of the nature and significance of starburst-driven galactic winds (``superwinds''). Superwinds are complex multiphase outflows of cool, warm, and hot gas, dust, and magnetized…