Around high-mass Young Stellar Objects (YSOs), outflows are expected to be launched and collimated by accretion disks inside radii of 100 AU. Strong observational constraints on disk-mediated accretion in this context have been scarce, largely owing to difficulties in probing the circumstellar gas at scales 10-100 AU around high-mass YSOs, which are on average distant (>1 Kpc), form in clusters, and ignite quickly whilst still enshrouded in dusty envelopes. Radio Source I in Orion BN/KL is the nearest example of a high-mass YSO, and only one of three YSOs known to power SiO masers. Using VLA and VLBA observations of different SiO maser transitions, the KaLYPSO project (http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/kalypso/) aims to overcome past observational limitations by mapping the structure, 3-D velocity field, and dynamical evolution of the circumstellar gas within 1000 AU from Source I. Based on 19 epochs of VLBA observations of v=1,2 SiO masers over ~2 years, we produced a movie of bulk gas flow tracing the compact disk and the base of the protostellar wind at radii < 100 AU from Source I. In addition, we have used the VLA to map 7mm SiO v=0 emission and track proper motions over 10 years. We identify a narrowly collimated outflow with a mean motion of 18 km/s at radii 100-1000 AU, along a NE-SW axis perpendicular to that of the disk traced by the v=1,2 masers. The VLBA and VLA data exclude alternate models that place outflow from Source I along a NW-SE axis. The analysis of the complete (VLBA and VLA) dataset provides the most detailed evidence to date that high-mass star formation occurs via disk-mediated accretion.

The pre-main sequence star V1647 Ori started a new outburst in August 2008. From October 2008 to February 2009 we monitored V1647 Ori, obtaining quasi-simultaneous VLT-CRIRES near-IR spectroscopy, VLT-VISIR mid-IR spectroscopy and VLT-FORS2 optical spectroscopy. We studied the evolution of H2 and CO emission from hot and warm gas and Hα and forbidden line-emission during the initial outburst phase of V1647 Ori. Hα is observed in emission displaying P-Cygni profiles with blue-shifted absorption up to –700 km/s, suggesting the presence of a high velocity wind (Fig. 1a). [OI] emission at 6300 Å is observed displaying a blue-shifted emission shoulder, indicating the presence of material moving away from the star (Fig. 1b). We detect H2 1-0 S(1) and CO (P4 to P14 and P30-P38) ro-vibrational lines centered at the velocity of the star at all epochs (Fig. 1c & d). This strongly suggests that the H2 and CO emission originates from a disk and not from a warm outflow. The H2 1–0 S(0) and 2-1 S(1) ro-vibrational lines at 2.22 and 2.24 μm and the pure-rotational H2 0–0 S(1) and 0–0 S(2) lines at 17 and 12 μm were not detected in our spectra. Changes in the Hα and [OI] profiles and the H2 and CO emission observed do not correlate. We modeled the H2 and CO line profiles assuming emission from a flat disk in keplerian rotation with line intensity decreasing with radius (I ~ I0(R/Rmin)−α). We found that the disk of V1647 Ori is observed nearly face-on and that the line emission is produced within a fraction of an AU of the star (Fig. 1d).

Stellar rotation at young ages: new results from Corot's Angular momentum is one of the driving forces in the early evolution of stars. Issues such as the coupling between the star and the accretion disk (the so-called disk regulation paradigm), are traced by the evolution of rotational momentum, but affect the star-forming process as a whole. One of the features observed in star-forming regions (e.g. ONC and NGC 2264) of age between 1 and few Myr, for masses above 0.25 solar masses, is a bimodality of the rotational period distribution, with a peak around 1 day and the other at around 4 to 7 days. This bimodality has been interpreted as the smoking gun of the disk-locking mechanism (with the fast rotators having lost their disk and the slow ones still being regulated by their disks).

The manner in which young classical T Tauri stars (cTTs) and brown dwarfs accrete gas from their surrounding disks and simultaneously drive jets and outflows is central to star and planet formation and angular momentum evolution, but remains an ill-understood and hotly debated subject. One of the central concerns is the stellar field geometry: while analytic theories assume an idealized stellar dipole, T Tauri fields are observed to be complex multipolar beasts. I present an analytic generalization of the X-wind theory to include such fields. Independent of the precise field geometry, the generalized model makes a unique prediction about the relationship between various cTTs observables. I show that this prediction is supported by observations of accretion rate, hot spot size, stellar rotation and field strength from stellar to brown dwarf masses, including recent detailed spectropolarimetric measurements. I also discuss the unique insights offered by recent magnetic field measurements on accreting brown dwarfs: while they agree with the accretion theory above, they also pose a puzzle for magnetic field generation theory. Resolving this conundrum promises to illuminate our general picture of accretion and angular momentum transport in fully convective objects.

Since 2005 we have been analysing the spectra of brown dwarfs (BDs) using the technique of spectro-astrometry and to date have found 5 outflows driven by BDs. Our aim is to obtain an understanding of outflow activity in the BD mass regime and make a comprehensive comparison with low mass protostars, in particular the classical T Tauri stars (CTTSs). Table 1 summarises some results for the sources in our sample. Also see Whelan et al. (2009b) for a complete discussion and comparison with CTTSs. Some noteworthy results include the asymmetry in the ISO-217 bipolar outflow which is revealed in the relative brightness of the two lobes (red-shifted lobe is brighter) and the factor of two difference in radial velocity (the red-shifted lobe is faster). Asymmetries are common in jets from low mass protostars (0.1 Msun to 2 Msun) and the observation of a strong asymmetry at such a low mass supports the idea that BD outflow activity is scaled down from CTTSs. In addition, Whelan et al. (2009a) find a strong contribution to the Hα line emitted by LS-RCrA 1 and evidence of a dust hole in its disk. Using methods previously applied to CTTS Whelan et al. (2009b) estimate the mass outflow rate (Ṁout) for LS-RCrA 1, ISO and ISO-Oph 102 Ṁout to be in the range 10−10 to 10−9 Msun yr−1 which is comparable to measured mass accretion rates.

My talk will focus on the early evolution of low mass objects. I will discuss the main uncertainties on current evolutionary models and the effects of rotation, magnetic field and early accretion history on young object's structure. I will also present possible solutions to the well known spread in HRD observed in star formation regions for objects of a few Myr old.

The atmospheres of Brown Dwarfs (BDs) are the site of molecular opacities and cloud formation, and control their cooling rate, radius and brightness evolution. Brown dwarfs evolve from stellar-like properties (magnetic activity, spots, flares, mass loss) to planet-like properties (electron degeneracy of the interior, cloud formation, dynamical molecular transport) while retaining, due to their fully convective interior, larger rotational velocities (≤ 30 km/s i.e. P < 4 hrs versus 11 hrs for Jupiter). Model atmospheres treating all this complexity are therefore essential to understand the evolution properties, and to interpret the observations of these objects. While the pure gas-phase based NextGen model atmospheres (Allard et al. 1997, Hauschildt et al. 1999) have allowed the understanding of the several populations of Very Low Mass Stars (VLMs), the AMES-Dusty models (Allard et al. 2001) based on equilibrium chemistry have reproduced some near-IR photometric properties of M and L-type brown dwarfs, and played a key role in the determination of the mass of brown dwarfs and Planetary Mass Objects (PMOs) in the eld and in young stellar clusters. In this paper, we present a new model atmosphere grid for VLMs, BDs, PMOs named BT-Settl, which includes a cloud model and dynamical molecular transport based on mixing information from 2D Radiation Hydrodynamic (RHD) simulations (Freytag et al. 2009). We also present the status of our 3D RHD simulations including rotation (Coriolis forces) of a cube on the surface of a brown dwarf. The BT-Settl model atmosphere grid will be available shortly via the Phoenix web simulator (http://phoenix.ens-lyon.fr/simulator/).

Astrometric observations of binary brown dwarfs yield dynamical masses of the components independently of theoretical models. We give an update on our long-term high-resolution spectroscopic and photometric monitoring programme of spatially resolved binary brown dwarfs using ground-based adaptive optics and the Hubble Space Telescope. We present current orbital fits, including refined dynamical mass estimate of the Kelu-1 AB system. The results seem to support the previously reported trend that evolutionary and atmospheric models might underestimate the mass of very-low-mass stars and brown dwarfs.

We have been using Keck laser guide star adaptive optics to monitor the orbits of ultracool binaries, providing dynamical masses at lower luminosities and temperatures than previously available and enabling strong tests of theoretical models. (1) We find that model color–magnitude diagrams cannot reliably be used to infer masses as they do not accurately reproduce the colors of ultracool dwarfs of known mass. (2) Effective temperatures inferred from evolutionary model radii can be inconsistent with temperatures derived from fitting observed spectra with atmospheric models by at most 100–300 K. (3) For the single pair of field brown dwarfs with a precise mass (3%) and age determination (≈25%), the measured luminosities are ~2–3× higher than predicted by model cooling rates (masses inferred from Lbol and age are 20–30% larger than measured). Finally, as the sample of binaries with measured orbits grows, novel tests of brown dwarf formation theories are made possible (e.g., testing theoretical eccentricity distributions).

Massive stars are known to be multiple systems, often in tight, short-period OB stars binaries (SB1 and SB2, found by spectroscopic monitoring). However, little is known about low-mass companions to massive stars, such as A, F, and G stars with masses in the range of 1 to 3 solar masses. Yet systems of massive stars with wide low-mass companions (of the order of a few AU) must exist, for these are the progenitors of LMXB and HMXB (low-mass and high-mass X-ray binaries).

Binary brown dwarfs are important because their dynamical masses can be determined in a model-independent way. If a main sequence star is also involved, the age and metallicity for the system can be determined, making it possible to break the sub-stellar mass-age degeneracy. The most suitable benchmark system for intermediate age T dwarfs is ε Indi Ba,b, two T dwarfs (spectral types T1 and T6; McCaughrean et al. (2004)) orbiting a K4.5V star, ε Indi A, at a projected separation of 1460AU. At a distance of 3.6224pc (HIPPARCOS distance to ε Indi A; van Leeuwen (2007)), these are the closest brown dwarfs to the Earth, and thus both components are bright and the system is well-resolved. The system has been monitored astrometrically with NACO and FORS2 on the VLT since June 2004 and August 2005, respectively, in order to determine the system and individual masses independent of evolutionary models. We have obtained a preliminary system mass of 121±1MJup. We have also analysed optical/near-IR spectra (0.6-5.0μm at a resolution up to R~5000; King et al. (2009)) allowing us to determine bolometric luminosities, compare and calibrate evolutionary and atmospheric models of T dwarfs at an age of 4-8Gyr.

We have spatially resolved several nearby binary brown dwarfs and obtained mid-infrared photometry with VISIR at the VLT. In particular, we have monitored ε Indi B and HD 130948 in several narrow-band MIR filters. The 10.5μm band is a probe to constrain non-equilibrium chemistry in the atmosphere of cool brown dwarfs.

We present a consistent age ordering for young clusters and groups determined using the contraction of stars through their pre-main-sequence phase. We compare these with ages derived from the evolution of the upper main-sequence stars, and find the upper MS ages are older by a factor 1.5 to 2. We show that increasing the binary fraction and number of equal-mass binaries amongst the O-stars compared to the rest of the MS cannot remove this discrepancy.

As I review here, planet formation in multiple stellar systems is far from exceptional. However, it appears that binaries with projected separation in the 5–100 AU range have different initial conditions and end result properties than wider systems, probably because they undergo different physical processes. In addition, very tight binaries, with projected separation less than a few AU, seem to fulfill all the known requirements to form planetary systems, suggesting that circumbinary planets are very likely to exist.

Interactions with close stellar or planetary companions can significantly influence the evolution and lifetime of protoplanetary disks. It has recently become possible to search for these companions, directly studying the role of multiplicity in protoplanetary disk evolution. We have described an ongoing survey to directly detect these stellar and planetary companions in nearby star-forming regions. Our program uses adaptive optics and sparse aperture mask interferometry to achieve typical contrast limits of Δ K=5-6 at the diffraction limit (5–8 MJup at 5–30 AU), while also detecting similar-flux binary companions at separations as low as 15 mas (2.5 AU). In most cases, our survey has found no evidence of companions (planetary or binary) among the well-known “transitional disk” systems; if the inner clearings are due to planet formation, as has been previously suggested, then this paucity places an upper limit on the mass of any resulting planet. Our survey also has uncovered many new binary systems, with the majority falling among the diskless (WTTS) population. This disparity suggests that disk evolution for close (5–30 AU) binary systems is very different from that for single stars. As we show in Figure 1, most circumbinary disks are cleared by ages of 1–2 Myr, while most circumstellar disks are not. These diskless binary systems have biased the disk frequency downward in previous studies. If we remove our new systems from those samples, we find that the disk fraction for single stars could be higher than was previously suggested.

A wide range of high-quality data is becoming available for protoplanetary disks. From these data sets many issues have already been addressed, such as constraining the large scale geometry of disks, finding evidence of dust grain evolution, as well as constraining the kinematics and physico-chemical conditions of the gas phase. Most of these results are based on models that emphasise fitting observations of either the dust component (SEDs or scattered light images or, more recently, interferometric visibilities), or the gas phase (resolved maps in molecular lines). In this contribution, we present a more global approach which aims at interpreting consistently the increasing amount of observational data in the framework of a single model, in order to to better characterize both the dust population and the gas disk properties, as well as their interactions. We present results of such modeling applied to a few disks (e.g. IM Lup, see Figure) with large observational data-sets available (scattered light images, polarisation maps, IR spectroscopy, X-ray spectrum, CO maps). These kinds of multi-wavelengths studies will become very powerful in the context of forthcoming instruments such as Herschel and ALMA.

The λ Orionis star formation region (1-6 Myr, 400 pc) is a complex of star-forming clouds surrounded by a molecular ring with ~ 5° radius which was probably formed by a supernova explosion (Dolan & Mathieu 2002). For a complete picture of star formation, believed to be determined by the supernova blast, the large-scale distribution of the pre-main sequence population in λ Ori needs to be examined. We have embarked on a multi-wavelength study (XMM-Newton/X-ray, CFHT/optical, Spitzer/IR) of selected areas within this intriguing star-forming complex that enables us to identify young stars and brown dwarfs. Our study comprises various areas within the cloud complex as shown in Fig.1. This data set is among the most extended X-ray surveys carried out with XMM-Newton in a coherent star-forming environment. The XMM-Newton observations combined with optical and IR data reveal the low-mass stellar population down to ~ 0.4 M⊙. For this mass-limited sample, our preliminary analysis confirms the anomalously low disk-fraction of the central star cluster Coll 69, the Eastern extension of its low-mass population pointing towards B 35, and the concentration of young stars in front of B 35. The analysis of the ‘on-cloud field' of B 35 (white in the figure) will show if the cloud is currently forming stars. This will be crucial for determining the star-forming history in the whole λ Ori region.

We review the statistical properties of stars and brown dwarfs obtained from the first hydrodynamical simulation of star cluster formation to produce more than a thousand stars and brown dwarfs while simultaneously resolving the lowest mass brown dwarfs (those with masses set by the opacity limit for fragmentation), binaries with separations down to ~ 1 AU, and discs with radii greater than ~ 10 AU. In particular, we present the eccentricity distribution of the calculation's very-low-mass and brown dwarf binaries which has not been previously published.

We review the properties of the discs that form around ‘sink particles’ in smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations of cluster formation, similar to those of Bate et al. (2003) and Bonnell et al. (2004), and compare them to the observed properties of discs in nearby star-forming regions. Contrary to previous suggestions, discs can form and survive in such an environment, despite the chaotic effects of competitive accretion. We find the discs are typically massive, with ratios of disc mass to central object mass of around 0.1, or higher, being typical. Naturally, the evolution of these discs is dominated by gravitational torques, and the more massive examples exhibit strong m=2 spiral modes. We also find that they can continuously grow over a period of 100,000 years, provided the central object is a single sink particle and the local density of sink particles is low. Discs that form around sink particles in the very centres of clusters tend to be shorter lived, but a single star can lose and gain a disc several times during the main accretion phase. However due to the nature of the turbulence in the cluster, the disc orientation can change dramatically over this time period, since disc-sink systems can accrete from counter-rotating envelopes. Since the competitive accretion process brings in material from large distances, the associated angular momentum can be higher than one would expect for an isolated star formation model. As such, we find that the discs are typically several hundred of AUs in extent, with the largest keplerian structures having radii of ~ 2000AU.

This was a very pleasant and interesting meeting on star formation. The debate run on freely and contributions were of a very high level, including the oral contributions of four exceptional graduate students.