Based on high-resolution observed spectra, the non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) line formation, and precise stellar atmosphere parameters, we present the first complete sample of dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) with accurate chemical abundances in the very metal-poor (VMP) regime. The obtained stellar elemental ratios are compared with chemical enrichment models, and we show that NLTE is a major step forward for studies of the dSph and the Milky Way (MW) chemical evolution.

The smallest dark matter halos are formed first in the early universe. According to recent studies, the central density cusp is much steeper in these halos than in larger halos and scales as ρ ∝ r−(1.5−1.3). We present results of very large cosmological N-body simulations of the hierarchical formation and evolution of halos over a wide mass range, beginning from the formation of the smallest halos. We confirmed early studies that the inner density cusps are steeper in halos at the free streaming scale. The cusp slope gradually becomes shallower as the halo mass increases. The slope of halos 50 times more massive than the smallest halo is approximately -1.3. The concentration parameter is nearly independent of halo mass, and ruling out simple power law mass-concentration relations. The steeper inner cusps of halos near the free streaming scale enhance the annihilation luminosity of a Milky Way sized halo between 12 to 67%.

We present an innovative soft X-ray polarimeter and spectrometer SOLPEX. The instrument is to be mounted aboard the ISS within the Russian science complex KORTES. The measurements to be made by SOLPEX are expected to be of unprecedented quality in terms of sensitivity to detect the soft-X-ray polarization of solar emission emanating from active regions and flares in particular. Simultaneous measurements of the polarization degree and the other characteristics (eg. evolution of the spectra) constitute the last, rather unexplored area of solar X-ray spectroscopy providing substantial diagnostic potential. Second important science task to be addressed are the measurements of Doppler shifts in selected X-ray spectral emission lines formed in hot flaring sources. The novel-type Dopplerometer (flat Bragg crystal drum unit) is planned to be a part of SOLPEX and will allow to measure line Doppler shifts in absolute terms with unprecedented time resolution (fraction of a second) during the impulsive flare phases. We shall present some details of the SOLPEX instrument and discuss observing sequences in a view of science objectives to be reached.

The majority of young massive stars are found in close binary systems. Recently, dedicated observing campaigns have provided strong constraints on the binary fraction as well as the distribution of the parameters that characterize the binary systems: the masses of both components, the orbital period and eccentricities. Most strikingly these findings imply that the majority of massive stars experience strong interaction (roche lobe overflow, a common envelope phase and or a merger) with a binary companion before their final explosion. I will discuss recent results from detailed binary star models and population synthesis models.

Filaments of the cosmic web drive spin acquisition of disc galaxies. The point process of filament-type saddle represent best this environment and can be used to revisit the Tidal Torque Theory in the context of an anisotropic peak (saddle) background split. The constrained misalignment between the tidal tensor and the Hessian of the density field generated in the vicinity of filament saddle points simply explains the corresponding transverse and longitudinal point-reflection symmetric geometry of spin distribution. It predicts in particular an azimuthal orientation of the spins of more massive galaxies and spin alignment with the filament for less massive galaxies. Its scale dependence also allows us to relate the transition mass corresponding to the alignment of dark matter halos' spin relative to the direction of their neighboring filament to this geometry, and to predict accordingly it's scaling with the mass of non linearity, as was measured in simulations.

Of the three kinds of neutral gas found outside the stellar disks of Local Group galaxies, only the products of interaction, like the Magellanic Stream, have a clearly understandable origin. Both the high-velocity clouds and the faint H I between M31 and M33 remain a mystery. New observations of the region between M31 and M33 with the Green Bank Telescope show that the H I there resides in clouds with a size and mass similar to that of dwarf galaxies, but without stars. These clouds might be products of an interaction, or condensations in the hot circumgalactic medium of M31, but both these models have difficulties. The prevalence of clouds like this in the Local Group remains to be determined.

Characterization of how dense molecular cores evolve into stars has historically been made through observational changes in their 2 to 25 μm spectral energy distribution (SED) or bolometric temperature via the Class system. Linking these observational classes to a physical protostellar phase or Stages in a consistent manner remains challenging. In order to provide a uniform indicator of whether an observationally classified embedded protostar candidate is likely to be a physical phase Stage 0 or I protostar, we performed an HCO+(J=3-2) survey of Class 0+I and Flat SED young stellar objects (YSOs) in the Spitzer nearby (D < 500 pc) Gould Belt cloud surveys. We use criteria from van Kempen et al.(2009) to classify sources as Stage 0+I or bona fide protostars and find 84% of our HCO+ detected sources meet that criteria. We recommend 0.54 Myr as an evolutionary timescale for these embedded protostars. We discuss trends in our sample with spatial distribution, molecular cloud extinction, spectral index, and bolometric temperature and luminosity.

Radial Velocity Experiment (RAVE) observed ~500,000 southern sky stars between 2003 and 2013 in the infra-red calcium triplet (CaII) spectral region. In this study we extended the analysis of RAVE very metal-poor stars ([Fe/H] < −2) presented by Fulbright et al. (2010). We employed a novel method for identifying the metal-poor stars and developed a tool for modeling CaII lines where we also modeled the background noise to avoid systematical biases in the equivalent width (EW) measurements. Final metallicity values were derived with a flexible calibration approach using only 2MASS photometric data and EW measurements obtained from the RAVE spectra.

From the transit expeditions of 1761 to JWST, ALMA, and the SKA, international projects have played an important role in driving astronomy and heliophysics. Over the past two decades, the increasing complexity and cost of new facilities, the constrained amount of funding available from individual sources, and the rapidly increasing volume of data produced by newer facilities have made international collaboration on large ground- and space-based facilities essential to moving the fields forward. As international cooperation becomes commonplace, data-sharing policies have become ever more important. All IAU members have a stake in the policy decisions made by nations and various scientific consortiums concerning data access and international collaborations. This focus meeting provided a forum to discuss how to improve coordination of global strategic planning in astronomy, astrophysics, and heliophysics in order to maximize the scientific return from research facilities.

We present the current status of the spectroscopic follow-up of a large number of RR Lyrae (RRL) halo overdensity candidates recently found by Torrealba et al. (2015) using southern-hemisphere data from the Catalina Real-time Transient Survey (CRTS). Characterizing the individual RRL stars in these overdensities is crucial to confirm them as real halo substructures. Low-resolution spectra have been obtained for RRL stars in 11 different overdensities, using the SOAR and Magellan telescopes. Radial velocities and metallicities have been derived so far for 123 and 99 RRL stars, respectively.

High surface density, rapidly star-forming galaxies are observed to have ≈ 50 - 100 km s−1 line-of-sight velocity dispersions, which are much higher than expected from supernova driving alone, but may arise from large-scale gravitational instabilities. Using three-dimensional simulations of local regions of the interstellar medium, we explore the impact of high velocity dispersions that arise from these disk instabilities. Parametrizing disks by their surface densities and epicyclic frequencies, we conduct a series of simulations that probe a broad range of conditions. Turbulence is driven purely horizontally and on large scales, neglecting any energy input from supernovae.

We find that such motions lead to strong global outflows in the highly-compact disks that were common at high redshifts, but weak or negligible mass loss in the more diffuse disks that are prevalent today. Substantial outflows are generated if the one-dimensional horizontal velocity dispersion exceeds -35 km s−1, as occurs in the dense disks that have star formation rate densities above ≈ 0.1 M⊙ yr−1 kpc−2. These outflows are triggered by a thermal runaway, arising from the inefficient cooling of hot material coupled with successive heating from turbulent driving. Thus, even in the absence of stellar feedback, a critical value of the star-formation rate density for outflow generation can arise due to a turbulent heating instability. This suggests that in strongly self-gravitating disks, outflows may be enhanced by, but need not caused by, energy input from stellar explosions.

These results are explained in more detailed in Sur, Scannapieco, & Ostriker (2015).

Using the Horizon-AGN simulation we find a mass dependent spin orientation trend for galaxies: the spin of low-mass, rotation-dominated, blue, star-forming galaxies are preferentially aligned with their closest filament, whereas high-mass, velocity dispersion- supported, red quiescent galaxies tend to possess a spin perpendicular to these filaments. We explore the physical mechanisms driving galactic spin swings and quantify how much mergers and smooth accretion re-orient them relative to their host filaments.

All available databases of molecular and gas-dust clouds in the Galaxy and other galaxies including their main properties such as position, angular and linear dimensions, distances, radial velocities, atomic and molecular hydrogen mass and column densities, temperatures, masses and others available are briefly described in the paper. An initial list of about 10 000 entries was condensed into a cross-identified all-sky catalogue containing molecular and gas-dust clouds. Some relationships were studied between main physical features of clouds. Finally, we prepared the complex observing program and address prospective work for gaining the gaps.

Laboratory astrophysics is the Rosetta stone that enables astronomers to understand and interpret the cosmos. The IAU Commission 14, the predecessor of the new IAU Laboratory Astrophysics Commission C. B5 and the AAS Laboratory Astrophysics Division (LAD) decided to coordinate their efforts this summer to hold a joint meeting at the IAU General Assembly.

Our view of galaxies has been transformed in recent years with diffuse halo gas surrounding galaxies that contains at least as many metals and baryons as their disks. While single sight lines through galaxy halos seen in absorption have provided key new constraints, they provide only average properties. Our massive neighbor, the Andromeda (M31) galaxy, provides an unique way to study its circumgalactic medium whereby we can study it using not one or two, but ~36 sightlines thanks to its proximity. With our Large HST program — Project AMIGA (Absorption Maps In the Gas of Andromeda), our goals are to determine the spatial distribution of the halo properties of a L* galaxy using 36 background targets at different radii and azimuths. In this brief paper, I discuss briefly the scientific rationale of Project AMIGA and some early science results. In particular, for the first time we have demonstrated that M31 has a gaseous halo that extends to Rvir with as much as metal and baryonic masses than in its disk and has substantial change in its ionization properties with more highly ionized gas found at R ~ Rvir than cooler gas found near the disk.

Stellar chemical composition analyses can only yield reliable abundances if the atomic transition parameters are accurately determined. During the last couple of decades a renewed emphasis on laboratory spectroscopy has produced large sets of useful atomic transition probabilities for species of interest to stellar spectroscopists. In many cases the transition data are of such high quality that they play little part in the abundance uncertainties. We summarize the current state of atomic parameters, highlighting the areas of satisfactory progress and noting places, where further laboratory progress will be welcome.

We present multi-epoch millarcsecond resolution images of the most compact supernova remnants in the nearby starburst galaxy M82, spanning 25 years of evolution. In particular, we will briefly discuss the new transient source first detected in 2009 as well as the unusual object 41.95+57.5 and its potential as a GRB afterglow.