Μάθημα : Ενημέρωση φοιτητών κατεύθυνσης Αστροφυσικής

Abstract:  Massive stars - those with much greater mass than our Sun - are hot, luminous, and live brief but influential lives, ending in gravitational collapse to form neutron stars or black holes. As cosmic powerhouses, these stars shape conditions in star-forming galaxies across cosmic time and played a crucial role in re-ionizing the early Universe. Recent advancements, including gravitational wave observations and discoveries of young galaxies by the JWST, have brought massive star research into the astrophysical spotlight.

However, these findings have also exposed major gaps in our understanding of how massive stars and binaries evolve and die, especially in low-metallicity environments. In this talk, I will review the current state of our knowledge on massive stars and high-mass X-ray binaries in low-metallicity galaxies, outline pressing gaps in our understanding, and explore the critical impact of massive stars and their feedback across cosmic time.