Related papers: Globular Cluster Ages from Main Sequence Fitting a…
We present a determination of precise fundamental physical parameters of twenty detached, double- lined, eclipsing binary stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) containing G- or early K-type giant stars. Eleven are new systems, the…
The age of three of the oldest clusters -- M15, M68, M92 -- has been redetermined. We use the latest EOS and opacity data available for calculating both isochrones and zero age horizontal branches and employ the brightness difference…
We present new spectroscopic observations of the detached late-type double-lined eclipsing binary YY Gem, a member of the Castor sextuple system and one of the benchmarks for the comparison between observations and stellar evolution theory…
Currently there are two main techniques for independently determining the ages of stellar populations: main sequence evolution theory (via cluster isochrones) and white dwarf cooling theory. Open clusters provide the ideal environment for…
We present a program designed to obtain age-rotation measurements of solar-type dwarfs to be used in the calibration of gyrochronology relations at ages of several Gyr. This is a region of parameter space crucial for the large-scale study…
Three binary systems in the Hyades open cluster, with known metallicity and good Johnson photometric data are used to test the validity of three independent sets of stellar evolutionary tracks. A statistical method is described and applied…
High-resolution Hubble Space Telescope optical observations have been used to analyze the stellar population and the structure of the poorly investigated bulge globular cluster NGC 6316. We constructed the first high-resolution reddening…
We present precise and deep optical photometry of the globular M92. Data were collected in three different photometric systems: Sloan Digital Sky Survey (g',r',i',z'; MegaCam@CFHT), Johnson-Kron-Cousins (B, V, I; various ground-based…
We present the results of combined optical and near-infrared photometry for the globular cluster systems of the giant ellipticals IC 4051 and NGC 3311. We use the reduced age-metallicity degeneracy in (V-I) vs.(V-H) color-color diagrams to…
This is the third article in a series aimed at computing accurate and precise ages of galactic globular clusters from their full color-magnitude diagram in order to estimate the age of the Universe and in turn constrain the cosmological…
We describe the detailed chemical abundance analysis of a high-resolution (R~35,000), integrated-light (IL), spectrum of the core of the Galactic globular cluster 47 Tuc, obtained using the du Pont echelle at Las Campanas. We develop an…
Stellar age estimates are often calculated by interpolating a star's properties in a grid of models. However, different model grids will give different ages for the same star. We used the open cluster M67 to compare four different model…
As the oldest building blocks of our Galaxy, globular clusters retain the archaeological footprint of the early stellar environments. Accurate absolute ages of globular clusters are required to interpret this ancient record. Existing dating…
The study of young massive clusters can provide key information for the formation of globular clusters, as they are often considered analogues. A currently unanswered question in this field is how long these massive clusters remain embedded…
We present an empirical assessment of the use of broadband optical colours as age indicators for unresolved extragalactic clusters and investigate stochastic sampling effects on integrated colours. We use the integrated properties of…
We present first results of a pilot project aimed at exploiting the potentiality of ground based adaptive optics imaging in the near infrared to determine the age of stellar clusters in the Galactic Bulge. We have used a combination of high…
Stellar population models are commonly calculated using star clusters as calibrators for those evolutionary stages that depend on free parameters. However, discrepancies exist among different models, even if similar sets of calibration…
Galactic globular clusters are old, dense star systems typically containing 10\super{4}--10\super{7} stars. As an old population of stars, globular clusters contain many collapsed and degenerate objects. As a dense population of stars,…
The ages and metallicities of globular clusters play an important role not just in testing models for their formation and evolution but in understanding the assembly history for their host galaxies. Here we use a combination of imaging and…
We analyze extensive BVRI photometry and radial velocity measurements for three double-lined deeply-eclipsing binary stars in the field of the old open cluster NGC 7142. The short period (P = 1.9096825 d) detached binary V375 Cep is a high…