SHAO Astrophysics Colloquium

Title: The Galactic Center Ecosystem
Speaker: Q. Daniel Wang(Univ. of Massachusetts)

Time：3 pm, January 4 (Thursday)

Location:Lecture Hall, 3rd floor 

Abstract:

The center of our Galaxy is the only galactic nuclear region where various stellar populations can be resolved, allowing for the study of the star formation mode and history as well as the stellar dynamics and feedback under an extreme galactic nuclear environment, characterized by the high temperature, density, turbulent velocity, and magnetic field, plus the strong tidal force. I will review various recent multiwavelength studies of the center, focusing on widefield (on scales comparable to the central molecular zone), arcsecond-resolution surveys that I am deeply involved in millimeter, near-infrared,  and X-ray. These studies have led to discoveries of many unique phenomena and processes and are enabling us to map out the foreground dust extinction and to characterize the 3-D global  distribution of stars and the interstellar medium. Ultimately, we will hope to address such questions as: how the extreme environment regulates the mode and effectiveness of star formation;  how the stellar populations have been built up over time; and how the medium, star formation, and central supermassive black hole interplay. Answering these questions about the Galactic center ecosystem represents a critical step in understanding how other galactic nuclei work and affect the evolution of galaxies as whole.