We use Spitzer 3.6-8.0 μm color profiles to compare the radial structure of star formation of galaxies with pseudobulges and classical bulges. Galaxies structurally identified as having pseudobulges have higher central star formation rates than those of classical bulges. Further, galaxies identified as having classical bulges have remarkably regular star formation profiles. These observations support the picture of pseudobulge formation via secular evolution and classical bulges forming in mergers.

The seismology and physics of localized structures beneath the surface of the Sun takes on a special significance with the completion in 2006 of a solar cycle of observations by the ground-based Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) and by the instruments on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). Of course, the spatially unresolved Birmingham Solar Oscillation Network (BiSON) has been observing for even longer. At the same time, the testing of models of stellar structure moves into high gear with the extension of deep probes from the Sun to other solar-like stars and other multi-mode pulsators, with ever-improving observations made from the ground, the success of the MOST satellite, and the recently launched CoRoT satellite. Here we report the current state of the two closely related and rapidly developing fields of helio- and asteroseimology.

SMC has been going through an active star formation epoch, especially during the last 0.2 Gyr when the close encounter with the LMC occured. Our goal is to detect regions dominated by early-type stars and gas and examine their behaviour at different wavelengths. Spectral energy distributions, a colour-magnitude diagram and a two-colour diagram from IRAS data (Bontekoe, Koperet & Kester (1994); Bontekoe, Kester, Stanimirović, et al. (1999)) for these regions were used in order to compare their properties with those of starburst galaxies (Helou (1986); Lehnert & Heckman (1995)). We have selected 50 stellar complexes with increased 100-μm IRAS flux, with detetected emission in all IRAS bands and/or high concentration of young stars. Ranking them by size (Maragoudaki, Kontizas, Kontizas, et al. (1998)), a total of what we call 24 aggregates, 23 complexes and 3 super-complexes were found. Radio continuum maps at 8.6-GHz (Haynes, Murray, Klein, et al. (1986)) and the CO (1→0) line (Mizuno, Rubio, Mizuno, et al. (2001)) were also correlated with the map of the complexes. Only 8 of them show enhanced star formation activity according to their IR properties and 8.6-GHz map, however, none of them resembles the IR behaviour of starburst regions found in the LMC and starburst galaxies (Livanou, Kontizas, Gonidakis, et al. (2006)). The south-west part of the “bar” has the most diverse intensity of star formation, with CO emission coincident with the largest structure. In the north-eastern end of the “bar”, star formation is likely to have commenced in the recent past, with molecular gas being abundant in this region. Ongoing and future star formation are revealed in the wing, while it appears to have ceased in the central “bar”.

The questions addressed in this large and popular meeting were: What mature proposals for the new large astronomical facilities of the next decade are available? When can they be funded? What international planning is underway?

Long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are considered to be due to the death of massive stars. Therefore, GRBs are closely associated with the star formation of host galaxies. Since GRBs can be detected at cosmological distances, they are expected to be probes of the star formation history of the Universe. In order to determine the use of GRBs, it is essential to understand the star formation of their hosts. Multi-wavelength observations have shown that the star formation rates (SFRs) of GRB hosts derived from submillimeter/radio observations are generally higher than those from optical/UV observations (Berger et al. 2003). This implies that GRB hosts have a large amount of molecular gas and massive star formation obscured by dust. In order to solve this problem, it is necessary to derive the SFRs in a method which is independent of existing methods and not affected by dust extinction.

We observed 12CO (J = 3–2) line emission from the host galaxy of GRB 980425 using the Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment (ASTE). Five points were observed covering the entire region of the galaxy, and we find possible emission features (S/N ~ 3 σ) at the velocity range corresponding to the redshift of the galaxy. By combining all spectra of five points, we obtain a global spectrum with a ~4 σ emission feature. If the features are real, this is the first detection of CO among GRB hosts. We derive the total gas mass of M(H2)=7 ± 2× 108M⊙ assuming a CO-to-H2 conversion factor of αCO = 8.0M⊙ (K km s−1 pc2)−1, which is deduced using the correlation between the αCO and the metallicity. The dynamical mass is calculated to be Mdyn=2× 1010M⊙, and M(H2)/Mdyn~3% is consistent with those of nearby dwarfs and normal spirals. The derived SFR is 0.5 ± 0.1 M⊙ yr−1 based on the Schmidt law. This SFR agrees with the results of previous Hα observations, suggesting that there is no significant obscured star formation in this host galaxy. This result implies that there is a variety of GRB hosts in terms of the presence of obscured star formation.

The Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) is an international effort to construct an instrument capable of matching the exquisite imaging properties of optical space telescopes at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths. ALMA science will transform our vision of the cold, dusty, and gaseous universe, from extrasolar planets to the youngest galaxies.

Andromeda galaxy (M31,NGC224) is the biggest spiral in the Local Group. By studying the star formation history(SFH) and chemical evolution of M31, and comparing with the Milky Way Galaxy, we are able to understand more about the formation and evolution of spiral galaxies.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the scientific successor to the Hubble and Spitzer missions. Its wavelength range (1 - 28μm) and sensitivity (1 nJy - 1 μJy) complement the submillimeter facilities of the coming decade, Herschel and ALMA. The JWST development is on schedule for a June 2013 launch to L2 on an Ariane 5.

We give estimates of the global mass-loss rate from bulge stars and show that this supply of gas is not negligible for the mass budget of the central kiloparsec in comparison with mass inflow rate predicted by N-body simulations of barred galaxies and mergers.

The European initiative for an Extremely Large Telescope is presented. During the past year the transition from the 100 m OWL concept to a 30 m to 42 m diameter telescope has been made. The history and the current status of this development is described.

Currently a network of interferometric gravitational wave detectors is in operation around the globe, in parallel with existing acoustic bar-type detectors. Searches are underway aimed at the first direct detection of gravitational radiation from astrophysical sources. This paper briefly summarizes the current status of operating gravitational wave facilities, plans for future detector upgrades, and the status of the planned space-based gravitational wave detector LISA.

We present a detailed spectroscopic study of a sample of 34 star-forming dwarf galaxies, ranging from the blue to near-infrared (λ3700Å-1μm) (Kehrig et al. 2006). The metal enrichment in this kind of objects has been operating typically at low metallicity enviroments. The spectra were observed with the 1.52m telescope at La Silla/ESO. We derive fundamental parameters for HII regions and ionizing sources in our star-forming galaxies, as well as gaseous metal abundances. All the spectra include the nebular[SIII]λλ9069,9532Å lines, that are of crucial importance in the derivation of the S/H abundances, and relevant ionization diagnostics. We study the relative hardness of their ionizing sources using the η' parameter (Vílchez & Pagel 1988), and exploring the roles played by metallicity and age. The ionic and total O/H was also derived using direct determinations of the te[OIII]. The mean S/O ratio derived in this work is constant and slightly below the solar (S/O)⊙ value (see fig 1). The data presented here are consistent with the conclusion that S/O remains constant as O/H varies among the sample of HII galaxies. Variations in S/O along the whole O/H abundance range may be present, but the scatter in S/O (due mainly to observational errors) is still large to constrain them. The assumption that the S/O ratio remains constant for all abundances is still an open question and should be explored further (Pérez-Montero et al. 2006).

We present the detection of escaping Lyman Continuum (LyC) radiation from two local starburst galaxies, Tol 1247-232 and Tol 0440-381, using archival data from the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE). From profile fitting of metal lines, high densities of neutral gas were derived for both galaxies, implying that the LyC radiation is escaping from holes in the interstellar medium. The first results for one of the galaxies, Tol 1247-232, give an escape fraction (fesc) of 17–35%. These new detections, together with that of the blue compact galaxy Haro 11 in Bergvall et al. (2006) where fesc between 4–10% was found, will have a feedback on cosmic reionization models.

The International Virtual Observatory Alliance is briefly introduced as a concensus-based group to construct International Virtual Observatory – a new, planet-wide research infrastructure for the 21st century astronomy. Standardized protocols by the IVOA were used to interconnect more than 10 astronomical obsrvatories and data centers to provide astronomers with multiwavelength astronomical data. The priority areas for technical development and planned developments are described.

A significant fraction of Virgo cluster early-type dwarf galaxies have blue central colours caused by recent or ongoing star formation. A spectral analysis shows that even in their centers, stellar mass is dominated by an old population. These galaxies are an unrelaxed cluster population that possibly formed from morphological transformation of late-type galaxies.

After a brief description of the ESA Science Programme, the long-term plan for Astrophysics is described, as well as possible strategies for its implementation.

Filamentary structures of early type stars are found to be a common feature of the MCs formed ~0.9 − 2 × 108yr ago. As we go to younger ages these large structures appear fragmented and sooner or later form young clusters and associations. In the optical domain we have detected 56 such large structures of young objects, known as stellar complexes in the LMC (Maragoudaki, Kontizas, Kontizas, et al. (1998)) and investigate their properties. IRAS data of the LMC stellar complexes were compared with observations of starburst galaxies (Helou (1986); Lehnert & Heckman (1996)). It has been found that nearly 1/4 of the stellar complexes are extremely active resembling the IR behaviour of starburst galaxies and HII regions. These stellar complexes are called here “starburst regions”. They host an increased number of HII regions, SNRs, stellar associations and nebulae. The main starburst tracers are their IR luminosity F60 and the 8.6-GHz radio emission (8.6-GHz data: Dickel, McIntire, Gruendl, et al. (2005)). In Table 1 the characteristics of the various types of complexes are given. Finally the evolution of all stellar complexes is discussed based on the CO emission (CO data: Fukui, Mizuno, Yamagushi, et al. (1999)). More than 50% of the starburst and starburst candidate regions show enhanced CO emission, indicating ongoing and future evolution.

The status of Japan's planning of the optical/infrared astronomy projects for the 2010's is briefly reviewed. The road map shows a 30 m class extremely large ground based telescope project with advanced adaptive optics capability, JELT, and a mid-infrared optimized 3.5 m space telescope project, SPICA, as the top-priority major project to be accomplished probably on international collaboration basis.

This report is a general introduction to Chinese major astronomical projects. It includes the ongoing project ‘Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope’ (LAMOST), and three major projects which have finished their feasibility study and development of key technologies: Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical (radio) Telescope (FAST); Space Solar Telescope (SST); Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT). Among them, FAST and HXMT have been approved by government in 2006, and SST is pending for the next five years plan. Besides these major projects, a site survey in the west of China, a plan for developing Antarctic Dome A for astronomy, and a preliminary study of Chinese future giant optical/infrared telescopes are also briefly introduced.

Using a large sample of ~40,000 star-forming galaxies selected from the SDSS, we derive oxygen abundance calibrations from strong-line ratios, such as [N II]/Hα, [O III]/[N II], [N II]/[O II], [N II]/[S II], [S II]/Hα, and [O III]/Hβ. The derived analytic calibrations cover a quite wide range of metallicity, from 12+log(O/H)= 7.1 to 9.3. These calibrations can be used as calibration references for the future studies about metallicities of star-forming galaxies.