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Engaging the Mind “Star Formation Throughout the Universe”

Engaging the Mind “Star Formation Throughout the Universe”. Kelsey Johnson UVa, Dept of Astronomy. The Cosmic Ecosystem. If stars didn’t form, none of this other stuff would happen!. what kind of stars , and how many stars form are very important.

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Engaging the Mind “Star Formation Throughout the Universe”

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  1. Engaging the Mind“Star Formation Throughout the Universe” Kelsey Johnson UVa, Dept of Astronomy

  2. The Cosmic Ecosystem If stars didn’t form, none of this other stuff would happen! what kind of stars, and how many stars form are very important

  3. The formation of stars in one of the most important processes in universe. Why study the formation of really massive stars? • Creation of visible light • Evolution of galaxies • Production of elements heavier than Helium.

  4. A visualization of the cycle of star death and star birth

  5. Most stars form in clusters! To understand star formation in general, we need to understand the “clustered” mode

  6. A Simulation of Star Cluster Formation

  7. A fossil inthe Milky Way... • > 10 billion years old • ~ 10 light years in size • ~ a million or more stars How were these incredible objects formed?

  8. The evolution of a globular cluster The bigger and fluffier it is, the less time it will survive

  9. First clue: Globular clusters live in the halos of galaxies

  10. Second clue: Their creation requires incredible pressures and densities in order to produce massive clusters that are this compact that can survive the age of the universe

  11. Colliding Galaxies! • Globular clusters can form in the present day universe under extreme conditions • These adolescent globulars have been dubbed“super star clusters”

  12. Galaxies are quite social and interactions are common

  13. Looking back in time

  14. Can globular cluster formation provide insight about the early universe? • In principle, yes • The problem is that star formation occurs within dense and dark clouds, and cannot be observed with optical light

  15. View of star-forming cloud transitioning from visible light to far-infrared light

  16. Beyond the Visible

  17. Green Bank TelescopeWest Virginia100x110 m(16,000,000 pounds)Largest Steerable Telescope in the World!!!(Just a few hours away!)

  18. Very Large ArrayNew Mexico Expands to 22 miles across

  19. Major Upgrade in progress! Expanded Very Large Array (available starting ~2009) • ~20x more sensitive than the Very Large Array!

  20. Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA)(early science ~2009, fully online ~2012) • Altitude ~17,000 ft • ~20x more sensitive than the VLA • ~10x the resolution of HST • Virtually unexplored wavelength regime The ALMA Science Center is operated by NRAO here in VA!

  21. The Future is bright! JWST Spitzer SOFIA Herschel ALMACARMA EVLA

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