The relevance of organometallic complexes in the chemistry of the interstellar medium(ISM) was first suggested in the early 90s. This initial proposal has recently beenre-considered in the light of new astronomical data, benefiting from pioneeringexperimental techniques and theoretical methods. In this article, a review of recenttheoretical and experimental results obtained for PAHs coordinated to Fe atoms ispresented, focusing on: -(i)- the IR spectra of [FePAH]+ and[Fe(PAH)2]+ complexes, found to be in line with the AIBs, withadditional specific features in the far-IR range and -(ii)- the photo-evaporation of[FexPAHy]+ clustersas possible candidates for very small grains releasing PAHs in photodissociation regions.These results call for new astronomical data at high spatial resolution. Studies on largerclusters will require further experimental and theoretical developments.

Over the past 3 years, we have conducted a survey of 100 square degrees of the southern Galactic plane with the Mopra radiotelescope (HOPS). The survey includes observations of multiple spectral lines in the 12 mm band, with the most important being the water maser transition at 22.2 GHz and the non-metastable inversion transitions of ammonia. We report on initial results from HOPS, including the detection of 540 water masers, about two-thirds of which appear to be new detections. We also find widespread emission in the NH3 (1,1) line, as well as detec tions in the NH3 (2,2), (3,3), (6,6) and (9,9) lines.

The aim of the MIMAC project is to detect non-baryonic Dark Matter with a directional TPC. The recent Micromegas efforts towards building a large size detector will be described, in particular the characterization measurements of a prototype detector of 10  ×  10 cm2 with a 2 dimensional readout plane. Track reconstruction with alpha particles will be shown.

In this contribution I provide some thoughts on the options for future space astrometry missions, with a focus on global astrometry. The next big step in space astrometry ideally would open up a new accuracy or wavelength domain (or a combination of both), although a future repeat of the Gaia mission is an option that should seriously be considered. I outline the scientific and technical challenges on the way to global sub-μas astrometry, and make some basic recommendations for achieving this goal.

We provide a covariant derivation of plasma physics coupled to gravitation by utilizing the 3+1 formulation of general relativity, including a discussion of the Lorentz force law. We then reduce the system to the spherically symmetric case and show that all regions of the spacetime can be represented in a single coordinate system, thus revoking the need for junction conditions. We further show that the region exterior to the collapsing region is naturally described by the charged Vaidya spacetime in non-null coordinates.

We discuss and illustrate contributions that optical interferometry has made on our current understanding of cool evolved stars. We include red giant branch (RGB) stars, asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars, and red supergiants (RSGs). Studies using optical interferometry from visual to mid-infrared wavelengths have greatly increased our knowledge of their atmospheres, extended molecular shells, dust formation, and winds. These processes and the morphology of the circumstellar environment are important for the further evolution of these stars toward planetary nebulae (PNe) and core-collapse supernovae (SNe), and for the return of material to the interstellar medium.

f(R) gravity is attracting a lot of interest as alternativecandidates to explain the observed cosmic acceleration and themissing matter in large scale structures. Very likely, what wecall “Dark Matter” and “Dark Energy” are nothing else but signalsof the breakdown of General Relativity at large scales. Besides,Solar System experiments do not exclude, a priori, the possibilitythat such theories could give small observable effects also atthese scales. We review some results giving the basic ingredientsof such an approach.

We consider the hierarchical three-body problem, with a binary and a planet-mass object. We investigate the effect of general relativity (GR) corrections to the Newtonian interactions. We focus on the Lidov-Kozai resonance, and the secular dynamics are analyzed over wide ranges of the semi-major axes and masses. We found regions in the parameter space where the GR corrections may be important for the long-term dynamics. We try to constrain the inclinations of putative Jovian planets in the recently announced binary systems of HD 4113 and HD 156846.

We propose in this paper an introduction to the wavefront coding technique for incoherent imaging. Wavefront coding introduces image processing in the conception of an imaging system. It consists in introducing controlled aberrations in the optics able to reduce, after processing, some defaults of the optical system such as defocus, chromaticity. We present the basis of wavefront coding and illustrate them on two images with different characteristics: a spoke pattern and a galaxy image.

The proposed design for PILOT is a general-purpose, wide-field (1°) 2.4 m, f/10 Ritchey-Chrétien telescope, with fast tip-tilt guiding, for 0.5-25 µm. The design allows both wide-field and diffraction-limited use at these wavelengths. The expected overall image quality, including median seeing, is 0.28-0.3'' FWHM from 0.8-2.4 µm. Point source sensitivities are estimated.

In this lecture I present the way stars can be modeled in two dimensions and especially the fluid flows that are driven by rotation. I discuss some of the various ways of taking into account turbulence and conclude this contribution by a short presentation of some of the first results obtained with the ESTER code on the modeling of interferometrically observed fast rotating early-type stars.

Deconvolution is a necessary tool for the exploitation of adaptive opticscorrected images, because the correction is partial. The Maximum APosteriori (MAP) framework is used to derive a deconvolution method(MISTRAL) thatcombines the data with our knowledge of the noise statistics as well as ourprior information about the object and the variability of the Point SpreadFunction. The deconvolution of experimental and scientific data illustrates the capabilitiesof this method.

The GAIA mission will produce an extraordinary database from which weshould be able to deduce not only the Galaxy's current structure, butalso much of its history, and thus cast a powerful light on the way inwhich galaxies in general are made up of components, and of how theseformed. The database can be fully exploited only by fitting to it asophisticated model of the entire Galaxy. Steady-state models are offundamental importance even though the Galaxy cannot be in a steadystate. A very elaborate model of the Galaxy will be required toreproduce the great wealth of detail that GAIA will reveal. Asystematic approach to model-building will be required if such a modelis to be successfully constructed, however. The natural strategy is toproceed through a series of models of ever increasing elaborateness,and to be guided in the specification of the next model by mismatchesbetween the data and the current model.An approach to the dynamics of systems with steady gravitationalpotentials that we call the "torus programme" promises to provide anappropriate framework within which to carry out the proposed modellingprogramme. The basic principles of this approach have been worked outin some detail and are summarized here. Some extensions will berequired before the GAIA database can be successfullyconfronted. Other modelling techniques that might be employed arebriefly examined.

The VLTI (Very Large Telescope Interferometer) makes available milli-arcsecond-scale observations in the infrared. It offers new possibilities for constraining stellar structures such as polar jets, equatorial disks and rotationally-flattened photospheres of Be stars. Such constraints allows us to better estimate the stellar fundamental parameters and refine the mechanisms such as mass loss, pulsation and magnetism that govern the variability and evolution of these stars.

In this paper we present a chromatic semi-analytical model of fast rotators, which allows us to study the dynamics and the interaction between the photosphere and the wind of fast rotating stars of O, B, A and F spectral types. Our simple analytical model addresses the oblateness, inclination and position angle of the rotation axis of the star. It produces iso-velocity maps and intensity maps. It includes line profiles, limb-darkening and the von Zeipel effect and the non-radial pulsations.

SCIROCCO+: Simulation Code of Interferometric-observations for ROtators and CirCumstellar Objects including Non-Radial Pulsations, includes all the parameters cited above in order to be fast, powerful and light simulation tool in high angular resolution of rotating objects.

Using relative astrometry and ground based imaging, we study nearby stellar multiplesystems in order to detect the astrometric signal of exoplanets around one of the stellarcomponents. We suppress differential chromatic refraction effects by observing in the nearinfrared with a narrow-band filter and by choosing an iterative calibration strategy(using a stellar cluster) we obtain a precision down to 100 μas in ourrelative astrometric measurements. This allows us to study the occurence and properties ofexoplanets in nearby (less than 100 pc) stellar multiple systems.

While trying to detect the astrometric signal of the exoplanet orbiting HD19994 A (Mayoret al. 2004), we detected theastrometric signal of a further object around the B component. This astrometric detectionis confirmed by speckle interferometry and follow-up radial velocity (RV) observations.Thus, HD19994 is an exoplanet host-triple system.

A more complete view of a magnetosphere of a close orbit giant exoplanet, so called “Hot Jupiter”, based on the Paraboloid Magnetospheric Model (PMM), is proposed. The key element of the considered model consists in taking into account the effects of an expanding upper atmosphere of a Hot Jupiter heated and ionized by the stellar XUV radiation. As a result, an extended magnetodisk is built around the planet. The magnetic field produced by magnetodisk ring currents, dominates above the contribution of intrinsic magnetic dipole of a Hot Jupiter and finally determines the size and shape of the whole magnetosphere.

Line-formation calculations in the Rayleigh-Jeans tail of the spectral energy distribution are complicated by an amplification of non-LTE effects. For hot stars this can make quantitative modelling of spectral lines in the near-IR challenging. An introduction to the modelling problems is given and several examples in the context of near-IR line formation for hydrogen and helium are discussed.

This contribution discusses the challenges of implementing star formation andstellar feedback processes in galaxy simulations. Insufficient computational power and numerous poorly understoodphysical processes, force simulations to adopt sub-grid models of the interstellar medium. These maycrucially bias results. We advocate for smaller (~ kiloparsec) scale simulations of the interstellar medium to guide the development of sub-grid models in larger simulations. In this vein, I show results on ever increasing scales ranging from ~1 h-1 kpc3 ISM simulations, to a 1 h-1 Mpc3 simulation of a galaxy forming at high redshift, to a larger cosmological volume, 6.25 h-1 Mpc3, evolved down to redshift 3. We find that galactic winds can be poweredby SN implemented as point explosions in high redshift galaxiessimulated with sufficient spatial resolution. Galaxies at lower redshift require alternative sub-grid feedback models and we present one possible solution to generate winds from galaxies atredshift ~4.



The main properties of pre-main-sequence (PMS) evolution are reviewed, withparticular emphasis on the impact of star formation studies. I will firstdiscuss the basic results established by the work of Hayashi, Iben andCameron in the early '60s. The changes introduced by the constraintsset by the previously ignored phase of protostellar evolution will bethen addressed. Evolutionary models including a variety of physical effects(accretion, rotation, magnetic field) are presented. Finally, theapplication of PMS models to reconstruct the star formation historiesof clusters and associations will be addressed.