Physics & Astronomy Colloquium

3:30 PM, Friday, August 28, 2008
Room 155, Chem-Phys Building

Dr. Tom Troland
Department of Physics and Astronomy
University of Kentucky, Lexington

Massive Stars - The Smoking Guns of Star Formation in the Universe Today
Star formation in the universe is not merely a process of the past. It continues to occur today in our Galaxy and in others, although at a much reduced rate. The most spectacular aspect of star formation is the creation of massive stars. So short in lifetime that they must have been born very recently, massive stars in our Galaxy have profound effects upon their galactic environments. Their energetic radiation, their stellar winds, even their deaths transform the regions around them and may result in the creation of new stars. Indeed, the Sun and Solar System may have come into existence 4.5 billion years ago as a result of a cosmic hint dropped by an exploding massive star.

Refreshments will be served in CP 155 at 3:15 PM