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Astronomy Seminar: Extra-Disk Starbursts: Star Formation Triggering in Interacting Galaxies

Date:
-
Location:
CP171
Speaker(s) / Presenter(s):
Beverly Smith (Eastern Tennessee State University)
Interactin galaxies have higher global stellar-mass-normalized star formation rates than normal galaxies. In this talk, I will compare the properties of individual star forming regions within a sample of interacting galaxies with those in normal spirals. I will show examples of exotic star formation environments found in interacting galaxies not seen in more isolated galaxies. I will compare multi-wavelength images of these galaxies with both analytical models and numerical simulations of the interactions to understand the formation and evolution of these structures, and will discuss the role that caustics (narrow pile-up zones caused by orbit-crowding) and swallowtails (intersecting caustics) play in triggering star formation in interacting systems.