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Associated Faculty and
Web Pages listed below.
Young Stellar Objects and the Origin of Planetary Systems.
A clear theoretical
understanding of star formation and of planetary accumulation is still far
from being achieved. Various efforts are being made in this direction mainly by
means of three-dimensional numerical simulations. Specific topics being
investigated include the determination of the trigger mechanism for star
formation, the early phases of cloud collapse including magnetic effects,
and the stability of the massive disk orbiting the protostar. Several
observational programs are underway to try to understand problems of
protostellar collapse, the physics of accretion in protoplanetary disks,
and the production of stellar jets. Infrared cameras on CfA and outside
telescopes are used to study the global problems of star formation in molecular
clouds, and optical and infrared spectrometers are used to study young stars
and their protoplanetary disks, complementing radio observations of
interstellar matter in star-forming regions.
See also the related area of
the interstellar medium and star formation.
Extrasolar Planetary Systems.
Members of the Department are actively involved
in the search and study of extrasolar planets. Many avenues for research have
opened within this new field - detection techniques, planetary atmospheres
in unusual conditions, formation and stability of different planetary systems.
One of the first extrasolar planets, Rho CrB b, was discovered here.
Theoretical research on the parameters of such planets is underway.
Stellar encounters and collisions.
Stellar collisions can occur frequently in
dense stellar systems like globular cluster cores or galactic nuclei. Critical
parameters determined in theoretical simulations of these encounters include
the relative importance of mergers versus binary capture, and the amount of gas
lost in the collision that may be used as fuel to drive the central engine in
active galactic nuclei.
Stellar Remnants.
When stars die, they form white dwarfs, neutron
stars, or black holes. These stellar remnants are being studied
through extensive use of both ground-based optical and satellite-borne
optical, ultraviolet and X-ray observatories. Of special interest
are X-ray binaries, which are close binary systems in which one of the
stars is either a neutron star or a black hole, and cataclysmic
variables, which are equivalent systems with a white dwarf. Some of
the best known black hole candidates are found in X-ray
binaries. Observational and theoretical studies are being used to
understand the details of the accretion flows in these systems and to
explore the exciting frontiers of physics near black holes.
See also the related area of
compact objects and accretion phenomena.
Associated Professors and Lecturers
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D. Charbonneau,
J. Grindlay,
L. Hernquist,
M. Lecar ,
Q. Zhang
Associated Web Pages
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The Smithsonian Submillimeter Wavelength Array
- AFOE:
A Spectrograph for Precise Stellar Radial Velocity
Measurements
- Planet Searches
- MOST
--Microvariability and Oscillations of Stars Microsatellite Mission
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Mid-Infrared Array Camera, MIRAC
- SIRTF, Space
Infrared Telescope Facility and
IRAC, its Infrared Camera
- Gaensler and Slane (GaS) Research Group
Associated Divisions
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High Energy Astrophysics,
Optical and Infrared,
Radio and Geoastronomy,
Solar and Stellar, and Planetary Sciences,
Theoretical Astrophysics
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