In the last few years great improvements in the study of stellar jets and bipolar outflows have been achieved, both observationally and theoretically. High resolution observations at various frequencies (radio, IR, optical and X-ray) of these features in different types of objects have shown a large variety of morphologies at all scales often revealing contrasting symmetries which do not allow straightforward kinematic interpretations valid for all cases. In particular, at present, it seems very difficult to give a statistical definition of what the "standard properties" of jets and bipolar outflows are. On the theoretical side, the identification of physical processes capable of producing the observed rich morphological variety of jets and bipolar outflows and supporting them over long lifetimes is still controversial. Furthermore several models are actively discussed in an attempt of reaching a complete understanding of the phenomenon. The workshop provided an unique opportunity for both observers and theoreticians to gather together and produce an updated and exhaustive picture of the field. In addition the meeting has been enriched by the presentation of some works on jets in external galaxies. This topic was focused on what people working on stellar jets could learn from colleagues working on extragalactic jets and vice versa. Invited papers were prepared with the aim of giving the state of the art about scientific subjects; contributed papers and some selected poster papers presented, on the contrary, very recent results in the various fields.

Theideatocelebrate50yearsoftheSalpeterIMFoccurredduringtherecent IAU General Assembly in Sydney, Australia. Indeed, it was from Australia that in July 1954 Ed Salpeter submitted his famous paper "The Luminosity Function and Stellar Evolution" with the rst derivation of the empirical stellar IMF. This contribution was to become one of the most famous astrophysics papers of the last 50 years. Here, Ed Salpeter introduced the terms "original mass function" and "original luminosity function", and estimated the pro- bility for the creation of stars of given mass at a particular time, now known as the "Salpeter Initial Mass Function", or IMF. The paper was written at the Australian National University in Canberra on leave of absence from Cornell University (USA) and was published in 1955 as 7 page note in the Astroph- ical Journal Vol. 121, page 161. To celabrate the 50th anniversary of the IMF, along with Ed Salpeter’s 80th birthday, we have organized a special meeting that brought together scientists involved in the empirical determination of this fundamental quantity in a va- ety of astrophysical contexts and other scientists fascinated by the deep imp- cations of the IMF on star formation theories, on the physical conditions of the gas before and after star formation, and on galactic evolution and cosmology. The meeting took place in one of the most beautiful spots of the Tuscan countryside, far from the noise and haste of everyday life.

An up-to-date study of astrophysical jets that will appeal to students and researchers in all areas of astrophysics.

It is over a quarter of a century since the discovery of out?ows from young stars. The intervening years have led to remarkable advances in our understanding of this phenomenon. Much of the progress can be attributed to advances in facilities and technologies, including not only larger telescopes but also improved instrument and detector performance. In addition protostellar out?ows have now been imaged from the ground and space at high spatial resolution, e. g. with HST, and at a wide - riety of wavelengths from X-rays to radio waves, revealing more and more about their physics. This veritable revolution in observation has been accompanied by an exponential growth in our ability to numerically simulate the launching and pro- gation of jets. Codes continue to improve: they now incorporate more physics and are increasingly ef?cient through, for example, techniques such as adaptive mesh re?nement and the use of parallel processing in cluster environments. Simulating the launching and propagation of a jet all the way from the vicinity of the star up to 4 several thousand AU (a size range of10 ) is now much closer. In more recent times, developments in observation, theory and numerical s- ulation have been joined by laboratory jet experiments reproducing, on centimetre scales, that which is seen in astrophysics to stretch for several parsecs.

Until the advent of space physics, astrophysical plasmas could be studied only using ground-based observations. Although observational methods have advanced over recent decades, the merging of heliospheric physics with astrophysics is far from complete due to the vastly different techniques employed by astronomers and space physicists. That astrophysical plasmas can be studies directly is a major advance in astrophysical research. The solar wind from the Sun is only one of many examples of solar winds, but it provides scientists with a basis for understanding how these formerly disparate disciplines are related. Cosmic Winds and the Heliosphere is a comprehensive sourcebook on conceptually correlated topics in astrophysical winds and heliospheric physics. The contributors review the various kinds of winds, such as solar wind, winds of cataclysmic variables, and winds from pulsating stars. They then examine the physics of wind origin and physical phenomena in winds. including heliospheric shocks, magnetohydrodynamic turbulence, and kinetic phenomena. A final section considers interactions with surrounding media, with contributions ranging from studies of the interstellar cloud surrounding the solar system to considerations of solar wind interaction with comets. Prepared to the scrupulous standards of the University of Arizona Space Science Series, Cosmic Winds and the Heliosphere is an essential volume for astronomers and space physicists.

'Protostars and Planets V' builds on the latest results from recent advances in ground and space-based astronomy and in numerical computing techniques to offer the most detailed and up-to-date picture of star and planet formation - including the formation and early evolution of our own solar system.

Whre do stars come from and how do they form? These are profound questions which link the nature of our Universe to the roots of mankind. Yet, until a recent revolution in understanding, the proposed answers have been raw speculation. Now, accompanying penetrating observations, a new picture has come into prominence. This book presents the latest astounding observations and scientific ideas covering star formation, star birth and early development. It encompasses all aspects, from the dramatic stories of individual objects, to the collective influence of entire stellar systems. The very first stars to come into existence and the nurturing of planets are discussed to provide the reader with a comprehensive overview. Presenting background information with only the essential mathematics, this book will appeal to scientists wishing to expand their horizons, students seeking solid foundations, and general readers with enquiring minds.

Based on an American Chemical Society Symposium organized by Professors Glenn Seaborg and Oliver Manuel, this volume provides a comprehensive record of different views on this important subject at the end of the 20th century. They have assembled a blend of highly respected experimentalists and theorists from astronomy, geology, meteoritics, planetology and nuclear chemistry and physics to discuss the origin of elements in the solar system. The intent was to include all points of view and let history judge their validity.

The original plans for a meeting to celebrate the second centenary of the As tronomical Observatory of Palermo were for a celebration with a double character. The gathering was to have both a historical character, appropriate for a bicenten nial, and a technical character, to note and chronicle the new phase of the history of the Observatory, which has prospered in parallel with the development of this fairly recent topic in astronomical research, the physics of stellar and solar coronae. After the untimely death of the Observatory's Director, Giuseppe S. Vaiana (Pippo to his many friends), a number of colleagues and friends insisted that the celebration should nevertheless be held and should be dedicated to this farsighted scientist who stimulated the development of coronal physics from the early x-ray observations of the solar corona to the recognition of coronae as an observable feature of nearly all stars. This memorial dedication did not change the character of the meeting, which was held in Palermo from 22 to 26 June 1992; as his contributions are very alive in the papers presented at the meeting and collected here, Pippo Vaiana has certainly achieved his place in the history of Astronomy.