13 April 2005

Speaker: Ewine van Dishoeck (Leiden Observatory)

Title: Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin Lecture
Ice Cold and Steaming Hot: Spitzer Observations of Gas and Dust in Star- and Planet-Forming Regions

Abstract: The earliest stages of star- and planet- formation are obscured by tens to hundreds of magnitudes of extinction. Observations of the gas and dust at long wavelengths often provide the only way to obtain information on the physical and chemical processes that occur deep inside these regions. In this talk, an overview of Spitzer spectroscopic observations of ices, silicates, PAHs and hot gases obtained in the context of the `Cores to Disks' (c2d) Legacy program will be given. Spitzer has opened up the possibility to obtain high quality mid- infrared spectra for large numbers of low-mass protostars (`Class 0 and I') and disks around low-mass pre-main sequence stars (`Class II') for the first time. The results will be placed in the context of other space- and ground-based data and analyzed using models of protostellar envelopes and (flaring) disks. The diagnostic values of the various lines and bands will be emphasized, and the importance of laboratory data to interpret them will be illustrated.

Video of the Presentation (Talks can be viewed with RealPlayer. Free download is available from www.real.com )

References for students: