UV excess and AGB evolution in elliptical-galaxy stellar populations
Abstract
The puzzling origin of the ``UV-upturn'' phenomenon, observed in some elliptical galaxies, has recently been settled by identifying hot HB stars as main contributors to galaxy ultraviolet luminosity excess. While a blue HB morphology seems a natural characteristic of metal-poor stellar populations, its appearence in metal-rich systems, often coupled with a poorer rate of planetary nebulae per unit galaxy luminosity, might be calling for an intimate connection between UV excess and AGB properties in early-type galaxies. In this work, we want to briefly assess this issue, relying on infrared surface brightness fluctuations as a powerful tool to trace AGB properties in external galaxies with unresolved stellar populations.
Cite
@article{arxiv.0708.0193,
title = {UV excess and AGB evolution in elliptical-galaxy stellar populations},
author = {Rosa A. Gonzalez-Lopezlira and A. Buzzoni},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0708.0193},
year = {2007}
}
Comments
6 pages, LaTeX, 4 figures, uses svmult.cls. To appear in``Ultraviolet properties of evolved stellar populations", ed. M. Chavez, E. Bertone, D. Rosa-Gonzalez, and L.H. Rodriguez-Merino, Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings (Dordrecht:Springer), in press