Wednesday Colloquium



04.12.2013

"Galactic starburst clusters: witnesses of extreme star formation events"

Christoph Olczak ( Astronomische Rechen-Institut, Heidelberg )

Starburst clusters are dense young stellar systems with total masses above 10,000 solar masses and tens of extremely luminous O stars. Various authors have speculated about a strong effect of these harsh environments on the star formation process, leaving in particular characteristic imprints in their mass functions. At present, we know only a dozen starburst clusters in our own Galaxy. I will present detailed numerical models of the particularly well observed NGC 3603, Westerlund 1, and the Arches cluster that indicate a plethora of peculiar properties.


11.12.2013

"BRITE - three weeks after the launch"

Aleksander Schwarzenberg-Czerny (NCAC, Warsaw)


18.12.2013

"What was the last Nobel Prize in Physics given for?"

Krzysztof Meissner (Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Warsaw)