Ram pressure stripping of galaxies is believed to be inefficient in galaxy groups, but Chandra X-ray observations of the starburst spiral NGC 2276, a member of a small galaxy group, shows that this galaxy is being stripped of its gas at a rate of ~5 M⊙ yr−1 due to its motion through hot intragroup gas. This provides direct evidence that mechanisms associated with ram pressure can strip galaxies of their gas in systems much smaller than galaxy clusters.

We present fine structure line of neutral carbon at 492 GHz (3P1–3P0, hereafter [C I] 1–0) and 12CO 4–3 KOSMA observations. This data has been combined with FCRAO 12CO 1–0 and 13CO 1–0 data. We have used these observations to understand the emission from the photon dominated regions (PRDs) in IC 348. We confirm the anti-correlation between N(C)/N(CO) and N(H2) as seen in most Galactic PDRs (Mookerjea et al. 2006).

Modelling rich star clusters is at an exciting time, now that detailed star-by-star modelling of all open star clusters has become possible. We should renew attention to the modelling of globular star clusters, to enable us to exploit the flood of excellent observational data now available. At the same time, new ideas in star cluster astrophysics require us to broaden the realism of our modelling in various directions.

We have analyzed the [Fe II] and [Ni II] emission lines in the bipolar planetary nebula Mz 3. We find that the [Fe II] and [Ni II] lines arise exclusively from the central regions. Fluorescence excitation in the formation process of these lines is negligible for this low-excitation nebula. From the [Fe II]/[Ni II] ratio, we obtain a higher Fe/Ni abundance ratio than the solar value. The current result provides further supporting evidence for Mz 3 as a symbiotic Mira.

High-resolution, multi-wavelength (UV through NIR) imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope has been obtained for three mergers in the Toomre Sequence, NGC 520, NGC 2623, & NGC 3256, to identify and measure the properties of young Globular Cluster (GC) candidates. Unlike previous merger studies, this work focuses on objects that lie in the middle of the Toomre Sequence. This age range represents a critical dynamical transition in the merging sequence between ongoing mergers and advanced remnants with properties more akin to elliptical galaxies. The early results of our investigation include luminosity functions and age-dating of the GC candidates. These results also address the impact of the dynamical state of the merger on the current young cluster population as compared with earlier studies that have dealt with the very oldest and very youngest mergers in the Toomre Sequence.

We study two dimensional Fabry-Perot interferometric observations of the nearby face-on late-type spiral galaxy, NGC 628. We investigate the role of the individual Hii regions together with the large-scale gravitational mechanisms which govern star formation and overall evolution in spiral galaxies. Our kinematical analysis (reinforced by literature maps in HI and CO at lower angular resolution) enables us to verify the presence of an inner rapidly rotating inner disk-like component which we attribute to long term secular evolution of the large-scale spiral arms and oval structure. We find that gas is falling in from the outer parts towards the bluer central regions. This could be an early phase in the formation of a pseudo-bulge. We find signatures of radial motions caused by an m = 2 perturbation, which are likely to be responsible for the inflow of material forming the circumnuclear ring and the rapidly rotating inner structure.

External shock triggering and internal turbulence play major role for the condensation of the ISM and star formation. Some evidences of shock triggering by non-isotropic compression are seen in the cloud morphologies and associated active cluster formation such as the ρ Oph and Cha I clouds. Surveys for C18O dense cores have shown that internal turbulence dominates the core dynamics and regulates star formation activity (Tachihara et al. 2002).

We identify emission lines of post-iron peak elements in very high signal-to-noise spectra of a sample of planetary nebulae. Analysis of lines from ions of Kr and Xe reveals enhancements in most of the PNe, in agreement with theories of $s$-process in AGB stars. Surprisingly, we did not detect lines from Br even though $s$-process calculations indicate that it should be produced with Kr at detectable levels.

The luminosity function (LF) is one of the most fundamental quantities to be observed in Astronomy. It is determined by the combined effects of the various physical phenomena that drive galaxy formation and evolution, therefore it is a very useful tool to constrain cosmological models.

The structural parameters of bulges, disks and bars of a sample of nearly 1000 nearby galaxies are being determined through sophisticated image decomposition in the g, r and i bands. The sample is carefully drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 2 (SDSS DR2), contains 963 galaxies, of which 407 host AGN, and we show that it is representative of the galaxy and AGN populations in the local universe. A large number of other physical properties have also been determined for these galaxies within the SDSS collaboration. With these data, we reinforce several recent studies and find a number of results leading to new insights into how the different galaxy components relate to each other and the extent to which the hosts galaxies of AGN differ from quiescent galaxies.

We present and discuss recent new results from the Spitzer Space Telescope and their impact on cosmology.

We present new results on stellar populations of bulges in spiral galaxies, from optical and near-IR data (images and spectra). In particular, we analyze a sample of bulges hosted by low surface brightness galaxies (LSBs). Correlations between metallicity, scale lengths of disk and bulges, and HI content are reported, supporting the bulge secular evolution hypothesis, as well as systematics between the derived evolutionary parameters of the embedded stellar populations. Using spectra of moderate resolution, we also investigate the stellar histories of bulges using Lick/IDS indices and recent α-enhancement models. Results indicate that small bulges tend to be smaller and metal poor, compared to larger ones. However, all bulges appear to have been formed in the same time-scale. We present some ongoing studies and some prospects of our research.

We have observed over 100 interacting galaxies (IGs) with Spitzer IRAC as part of a detailed study of the their properties (see also Zezas, et al. in this volume). The majority of sources are nearby. Precise IRAC imaging photometry of these galaxies finds a wide range of colors in these systems, and correlative spectroscopic data suggests the colors are reflected by composition that is in turn reflective of age; orientation also plays a role. We have also observed a distant pair of interacting galaxies at z=3.01, a HyLIG, EGS20 J1418+5236 (Huagg et al. 2006), and find that, like the nearby systems, it has similar processes at work albeit in a hyperactive way.

To overcome limitations of some previous studies of IGs, we observed two complementary nearby samples, one selected on the basis of galaxy separation, and the other selected on a morphological basis. Figure 1 below is a summary IRAC [3.6um]-[4.5um] versus [5.8um]-[8.0um] color-color plot of these IGs. Five generic regions emerge: ellipticals near (0,-0.1), early-stage IGS around (1.5, -0.1), Seyfert 1s around (1.3, 0.5), Seyfert 2s around (1.5, 1.2), and LINERS/HII galaxies centered at 2.2, 0.2). These systems are each characterized by spectral dust features in the IRAC bands that are strong enough to influence and]or mirror the underlying stellar continuum colors. The arrows suggest possible evolutionary development.

The IAU Joint Discussion 16 was held at the IAU XXVI General Assembly in Prague, in August 2006. The title of the meeting was Nomenclature, Precession and new models in Fundamental Astronomy. Applications and scientific contribution to astronomy. It was organized by IAU Division I (Fundamental Astronomy) and Commission 19 (Earth Rotation), with the participation of IAU Division, X (Radio Astronomy) and all the Division, I Commissions, as well as with the support of the International Association of Geodesy (IAG). The Scientific Organizing Committee was made up of the three organizers and the representatives of these scientific bodies.

We have newly performed millimeter- and submillimeter-wave observations in the nearest GMC: the Orion Molecular Cloud -2/3 region (OMC-2/3). Here, we report results of our large-scale (22' × 14') outflow survey with the Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment (ASTE) in the CO(3-2) emission. The OMC-2/3 region is one of the famous intermediate-mass star-forming regions and harbors several sources diagnosed as Class0 protostars (Chini et al. 1997). With the intensive ASTE observations, we totally identified the 8 clear, 5 probable and 6 marginal outflows in OMC-2/3. 8 clear outflows from them, MMS 2, MMS 5, MMS7, MMS9, FIR-2, FIR 3, VLA 13, and FIR 6b are associated with mm and SPITZER 24 μm sources. The others are more or less complicated, and two of which, VLA 13 and FIR 6, are newly identified. We found the interaction between the molecular outflows and the dust condensations at least in four regions. In addition, we confirmed the increment of the velocity width of the dense gas toward some of these condensations (i.e. at the termination of the outflow lobes). These results suggest that (i) the interaction between the outflows and the dense condensation occurs commonly in the OMC-2/3 region, (ii) the dense condensations in this region are compressed ubiquitously by these outflows and are receiving a part of the momentum from them. Particularly, one of the strongest millimeter sources, and hence protostar candidates, FIR4, is strongly compressed by a molecular outflow driven by FIR3 located at the north-east of FIR 4. These results suggest that the molecular outflows play an important role in the formation and evolution of stars and that the outflows are a driving mechanism of turbulence in the OMC-2/3 region.

We present a numerical simulation of the formation of a bipolar planetary nebula from a single star. At the late stage of AGB stars, surface convection and/or convection of shell burning would create differential rotation between the core and the envelope of such stars. If the core has a magnetic field threading the envelope, this differential rotation twists magnetic fields. Then like a cosmic jet model of accretion disks, such a twist of magnetic fields piles up a tower of magnetic fields atop the pole of the progenitor core and creates jets.

We present line-strength maps of a sample of 18 late-type spirals. The data have been taken using SAURON at the WHT. Apart from the maps, we present the central line indices, and estimate the star formation time-scale. In an exponentially declining SFR scenario, we find a trend between the time-scale τ and the velocity dispersion: more massive galaxies show shorter burst durations. This result is in agreement with the analysis of Hα emission in galaxies. A detailed study on these data will be published by Ganda et al. (2007).

We discuss the present status of the celestial reference system and frame.

We studied the stability properties of isolated star forming dwarf galaxies with the aim to identify star burst modes. The impact of the stellar birth function (parametrization, IMF), the stellar feedback and the ISM model on the galactic star formation history was investigated. We focussed especially on dynamically driven star bursts induced by stellar feedback. We applied a one-zone model for a star-gas system coupled by both mass and energy transfer. Additionally, we extended the classical closed box network for active dynamical evolution (Theis 2004). This allows for a simple, but consistent description of the coupling between the dynamical state of a galaxy and its internal properties like star formation activity or the thermal state of the interstellar medium.

We investigate the environmental dependence of galaxy populations properties in the SDSS-DR4. Our aim is to search for systematic variations in the properties of galaxies with the local galaxy density in order to find hints that can be related to the presence of a void galaxy population. We find that galaxies in underdense regions (voids) are fainte and bluer than cluster galaxies. Moreover, the transition from underdense to overdense regions is smooth, as well as the percentage of late-type galaxies decreases while the percentage of early-type galaxies increases smoothly from underdense to dense environments.