Related papers: A new method for deriving the stellar birth functi…
This work aims to provide a theoretical formulation of Surface Brightness Fluctuations (SBF) in the framework of probabilistic synthesis models, and to distinguish between the different distributions involved in the SBF definition. RESULTS:…
The initial mass function (IMF) describes the distribution of stellar masses in a population of newly born stars and is amongst the most fundamental concepts in astrophysics. It is not only the direct result of the star formation process…
Recent studies based on the integrated light of distant galaxies suggest that the initial mass function (IMF) might not be universal. Variations of the IMF with galaxy type and/or formation time may have important consequences for our…
The initial mass function (IMF) is a key ingredient in many studies of galaxy formation and evolution. Although the IMF is often assumed to be universal, there is continuing evidence that it is not universal. Spectroscopic studies that…
The surface brightness fluctuations (SBF) method is a statistical method applied on image pixels in different bands. This contribution aims to distinguish between the observational (statistical) method and the theoretical (probabilistic)…
The stellar masses, mean ages, metallicities, and star formation histories of galaxies are now commonly estimated via stellar population synthesis (SPS) techniques. SPS relies on stellar evolution calculations from the main sequence to…
We present some results on the study of stellar population properties and distances of galaxies using the SBF technique. The applications summarized here show that the Surface Brightness Fluctuations (SBF) method is able to i) provide…
The initial mass function (IMF) is a construct that describes the distribution of stellar masses for a newly formed population of stars. It is a fundamental element underlying all of star and galaxy formation, and has been the subject of…
The birth of stars and the formation of galaxies are cornerstones of modern astrophysics. While much is known about how galaxies globally and their stars individually form and evolve, one fundamental property that affects both remains…
We examine the use of surface brightness fluctuations (SBF) for both stellar population and distance studies. New V-band SBF data are reported for five Fornax cluster galaxies and combined with literature data to define a new V-band SBF…
We present a new technique for the determination of the low-mass slope ($\alpha_1$; $M_* < 0.5 M_{\odot}$) of the present day stellar mass function (PDMF) using the pixel space fitting of integrated light spectra. It can be used to…
Recent applications have proved that the Surface Brightness Fluctuations (SBF) technique is a reliable distance indicator in a wide range of distances, and a promising tool to analyze the physical and chemical properties of unresolved…
Accreted stellar populations are comprised of the remnants of destroyed galaxies, and often dominate the `stellar haloes' of galaxies such as the Milky Way (MW). This ensemble of external contributors is a key indicator of the past assembly…
The measured star-formation rates (SFRs) of galaxies comprise an important constraint on galaxy evolution and also on their cosmological boundary conditions. Any available tracer of the SFR depends on the shape of the mass-distribution of…
The stellar initial mass function (sIMF) is often treated as a stochastic probability distribution, yet such an interpretation implies Poisson noise that is inconsistent with growing observational evidence. In particular, the observed…
The initial mass function (IMF) succinctly characterizes a stellar population, provides a statistical measure of the end result of the star-formation process, and informs our under- standing of the structure and dynamical evolution of…
The stellar initial mass function (IMF) is commonly interpreted to be a scale-invariant probability density distribution function (PDF) such that many small clusters yield the same IMF as one massive cluster of the same combined number of…
We are using optical/IR surface brightness fluctuations (SBFs) to validate the latest stellar population synthesis models and to understand the stellar populations of ellipticals. Integrated light and spectra measure only the first moment…
(Abridged) We describe a new method to extract spectra of stars from observations of crowded stellar fields with integral field spectroscopy (IFS). Our approach extends the well-established concept of crowded field photometry in images into…
The stellar initial-mass function (IMF) represents a fundamental quantity in astrophysics and cosmology, describing the mass distribution of stars from low to very-high masses. It is intimately linked to a wide variety of topics, including…