|
Main Colloquium |
Prof. Cara Battersby
| SCHEDULED |
University of Connecticut
Galaxy centers are the hubs of activity that drive galaxy evolution,
from supermassive black holes to dense stellar clusters and feedback
from newly-formed stars. Our own galaxy’s center has properties
(densities, temperatures, and turbulent line widths) that are
reminiscent of galaxies at the peak of cosmic star formation, but in
our
own cosmic backyard, where the interplay of these physical processes
can
be resolved in detail. In this talk, I will discuss gas inflow into our
Galaxy’s Center, properties of the gas, and incipient star formation.
I will discuss simulations of gas flows into the Galactic Center, which
are thought to contribute to the unusual properties of star formation
in
this region, namely that it is producing 10 times fewer stars than
predicted by standard scaling relations. I will describe observations
of
the gas and incipient star formation in this region, as well as discuss
efforts to measure whether or not this unusual environment results in a
change to the Initial Mass Function.