Observations of star forming regions in the solar neighbourhood provide the empirical foundation for our current understanding of star and planet formation. In this paradigm, gas is converted into stellar systems in an environmentally independent process which can be described by “universal” dense-gas-star-formation relations. The resulting stellar systems form in isolation, and there is minimal dynamical evolution of planetary architectures after they have finished forming and left their natal environment. 

I will share recent results using the Galactic Centre as a laboratory to test this paradigm in conditions which are more cosmologically representative of the environment in which most stars in the Universe formed. We find that “universal” dense-gas-star-formation relations fail to describe the conversion of gas into stars — star formation is inhibited in collapsing gas clouds until they reach densities orders of magnitude higher than predicted critical densities. When star formation eventually begins, the proto-stellar densities are so high that stellar feedback is expected to destroy proto-planetary disks on ~Myr timescales — the epoch over which planets assemble the bulk of their mass. 

These results point to a paradigm in which environment is a key factor determining the outcome of the star and planet formation process, and the evolution of the planetary system architectures, over cosmic time. I will end by discussing the potential implications of these results in the context of where we expect to find life elsewhere in the Universe.
(Cologne, Host Peter Schilke)

Supermassive black holes spend up to 95% of their lifetimes in low-accreting states, yet their impact on galaxy evolution remains poorly understood. Low-luminosity AGN (LLAGN) can launch low-power jets and winds capable of displacing dust, driving outflows, and suppressing star formation. To tackle this problem, we adopt a twofold approach. First, we present a new SED-fitting module for LLAGN, included in the latest version of CIGALE, which enables accurate modeling of LLAGN physics and allows population studies that do not rely on extrapolations from high-luminosity AGN templates. When applied to multiwavelength surveys, this module will help constrain the AGN luminosity function at the faint end. Second, we present recent JWST observations of M58, a nearby LLAGN with a weak jet and advection-dominated accretion. These high-resolution data (~10 pc) reveal over 45 H2 lines, excited mainly by low-velocity, low-density shocks associated with the jet, along with a ~10% contribution from X-ray heating. While the ISM is broadly undisturbed, the central ~200 pc exhibits turbulent kinematics linked to low-velocity outflows. These results highlight the subtle but measurable influence of LLAGN feedback. Similar H2 signatures observed in other local LLAGN suggest that this feedback may be more widespread than previously recognized. (Cologne, Host Tatiana Rodriguez)

(MPIfR Bonn)

(Cologne, Host Simon Dannhauer)

(Cologne, Host Peter Schilke)