Damped Lyman-α absorbers (DLAs) as a class of quasi-stellar object (QSO) absorption-line systems are currently our most important source of detailed information on the cosmic chemical evolution of galaxies. However, the degree to which this information is biased by dust remains to be understood. One strategy is to specifically search for QSOs that

The lowest-mass stars, brown dwarfs and giant exoplanets span a minimum in the mass-radius relationship that probes the fundamental physics of extreme states of matter, magnetism, and fusion. This White Paper outlines scientific opportunities and the necessary resources for modeling and measuring the mass- radius relationship in this regime.

A panchromatic view of the star-forming ring and feeding process in the central kpc of the galaxy NGC 1097 is presented. The assembled IR to UV images at ˜10 pc resolution allow us to characterize the population of circa 250 clusters in the ring and disentangle the network of filaments of dust and gas that enshroud and feed them. The ring is a

Aims: The nearby metal-poor giant HD 122563 is an important astrophysical laboratory in which to test stellar atmospheric and interior physics. It is also a benchmark star for which to calibrate methods to apply to large scale surveys. Recently it has been remeasured using various methodologies given the new high precision instruments at our

Using Gaia Data Release 2 photometry, we report the detection of extended main-sequence turnoff (eMSTO) regions in the color–magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of the ∼14 Myr old double clusters h and χ Persei (NGC 869 and NGC 884). We find that stars with masses below ∼1.3 M ⊙ in both h and χ Persei populate narrow main sequences (MSs), while more massive

This white paper describes an ambitious research programme into the architectures of evolved planetary systems and their use as probes of the bulk abundances of exo-planetesimals, and we identify the facilities required over the next decade to reach our scientific goals.