Related papers: Synchronous Evolution of Galaxies in Groups: NGC 5…
We present observations of four nearby early-type galaxies with previously known nuclear stellar disks using two instruments on-board the Hubble Space Telescope. We observed NGC4128, NGC4612, and NGC5308 with the Wide Field Planetary Camera…
The distribution of galaxy properties in groups and clusters holds important information on galaxy evolution and growth of structure in the Universe. While clusters have received appreciable attention in this regard, the role of groups as…
Typical globular clusters (GCs - young and old) host stellar populations with little or no star-to-star variations in heavy elements (e.g., Ca, Fe) nor in age. Nuclear star clusters (NSCs), on the other hand, host complex stellar…
Bulge globular clusters (GCs) with metallicities [Fe/H] <~ -1.0 and blue horizontal branches are candidates to harbor the oldest populations in the Galaxy. Based on the analysis of HST proper-motion-cleaned color-magnitude diagrams in…
We present a detailed analysis of the vertical and radial structure of mono-age stellar populations in three edge-on lenticular galaxies (FCC 153, FCC 170, and FCC 177) in the Fornax cluster, using deep MUSE observations. By measuring the…
The center of our galaxy is home to a massive black hole, SgrA*, and a nuclear star cluster containing stellar populations of various ages. While the late type stars may be too old to have retained memory of their initial orbital…
We report new photometry of populous intermediate-age clusters in the SMC using the {\sl Hubble Space Telescope}. In contrast to the accepted picture, these clusters appear to have formed in two brief intervals, one $8\pm 2$ Gyr ago, and a…
<Context.> Nuclear star clusters (NSCs) at the dynamical center of galaxies appear to have a complex star formation history. This suggests repeated star formation even in the influence of the strong tidal field from supermassive black…
We have obtained Keck spectra for 16 globular clusters (GCs) associated with the merger remnant elliptical NGC 1052, as well as a long-slit spectrum of the galaxy. We derive ages, metallicities and abundance ratios from simple stellar…
We have studied the globular cluster (GC) systems of 7 giant, edge-on spiral galaxies using Hubble Space Telescope imaging in V and I. The galaxy sample covers the Hubble types Sa to Sc, allowing us to study the variation of the properties…
Globular Cluster (GC) formation seems to be a widespread mode of star formation in extreme starbursts triggered by strong interactions and mergers of massive gas-rich galaxies. We use our detailed chemically consistent evolutionary…
We have measured central line strengths for a magnitude-limited sample of early-type galaxies in the Fornax cluster, comprising 11 elliptical (E) and 11 lenticular (S0) galaxies, more luminous than MB=-17. When compared with single-burst…
We investigate the origin of the evolution of the population-averaged central stellar mass density ($\Sigma_1$) of quiescent galaxies (QGs) by probing the relation between stellar age and $\Sigma_1$ at $z\sim0$. We use the Zurich…
We present multiband photometric observations of three spiral galaxies selected in a sample suited for the study of young stellar groupings and their relationship with the parent galaxy and the galactic environment. Star forming regions…
The star-forming clumps in star-bursting dwarf galaxies provide valuable insights into the understanding of the evolution of dwarf galaxies. In this paper, we focus on five star-bursting dwarf galaxies featuring off-centered clumps in the…
The determination of the age of the bulge has led to two contradictory results. On the one side, the color-magnitude diagrams in different bulge fields seem to indicate a uniformly old ($>$10 Gyr) population. On the other side, individual…
The Galactic centre stands out as the most prolific star-forming environment of the Galaxy when averaged over volume. In the last 30 million years, it has witnessed the formation of $\sim10^6 M_\odot$ of stars. However, crowding and high…
Recent observations with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) have revealed that a large fraction of late-type (Sc and later) spiral galaxies harbor a bright, compact stellar cluster in their dynamical centers. Statistics of the mass, age, and…
In the last decade star clusters have been found in the centers of spiral galaxies across all Hubble types. We here present a spectroscopic study of the exceptionally bright (10^6 - 10^8 Lsun) but compact (Re ~ 5 pc) nuclear star clusters…
Recent discoveries have put the picture of stellar clusters being simple stellar populations into question. In particular, the color-magnitude diagrams of intermediate age (1-2 Gyr) massive clusters in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) show…