The Sydney Institute for Astronomy proudly presents the first series of the prestigious Hunstead Lectures, funded by a generous gift to the University of Sydney – the Dick Hunstead Fund for Astrophysics. 

These inaugural lectures are presented by Prof. Mark Krumholz, a world recognized expert in star formation processes, particularly from a theoretical perspective, and engaged in cutting-edge simulations and observations. Prof. Mark Krumholz has recently taken up a staff position at ANU after serving on the faculty of UC Santa Cruz.

In these engaging and dynamical lectures, Mark discusses the main processes that drive star formation, from the chemical and thermodynamic properties of the interstellar medium to the effect of stellar feedback. Each lecture (about one hour long) is followed by a stimulating discussion with PhD students and post-docs.

Monday 26 of September 2016: Chemistry and Thermodynamics of the Cold Interstellar Medium

Tuesday 27 of September 2016: Gas Flows, Turbulence, and Instability

Wednesday 28 September 2016: Stellar Feedback and the Regulation of Star Formation

Thursday 29 September 2016: The Star Formation Rate

Friday 30 September 2016: The Initial Mass Function 

Simulation Video