1/5/2009 10:00 - 11:30 AM
In the past few years, the central hundred parsecs of the Galaxy have been surveyed anew at a variety of wavelengths, notably with Spitzer, Chandra, HST, UKIDSS, and the VLA, all with considerably enhanced sensitivity and spatial resolution. These efforts have culminated this year with the emergence of a new large-scale HST/NICMOS survey of Paschen-alpha emission and a deep Chandra mosaic. All of this newly available information provides an exciting new vision of the population of massive young stars and star clusters, and on the dramatic effect that those stars have on the interstellar medium in terms of heating, ionization and dynamical shaping. The proposed special session would bring together investigators to discuss the timely issues that are emerging from the new views of the rich Galactic center region. These issues include: (1) the dominant mode of star formation in the central molecular zone, (2) the effect of the winds and radiation of massive stars on subsequent star formation in neighboring clouds, (3) the likely role of the strong Galactic center magnetic field in determining the morphology of HII regions and PDRs, and (4) the extent to which our Galactic nucleus serves as a template for understanding star formation activity in gas-rich galactic nuclei in general. In addition, the attendees would use the discussions to focus the scientific program for the next international symposium on the Galactic center, to be held in China in October 2009.
Organizer: Cornelia Lang, University of Iowa
