Related papers: What can distant galaxies teach us about massive s…
This paper reviews the current status of measurements of galaxy clustering at high redshifts (z > 0.3). The focus is on the inherent limitations in the observation and interpretation of the ``evolution of clustering''. It is likely that…
I review progress in understanding the evolution of normal field and cluster galaxies through the combination of HST imaging and ground-based spectroscopy. These data suggest that the bulk of the star formation producing the present-day…
Understanding the star-formation properties of galaxies as a function of cosmic epoch is a critical exercise in studies of galaxy evolution. Traditionally, stellar population synthesis models have been used to obtain best fit parameters…
The study of the formation of massive stars presents complex challenges from both theoretical and observational points of view. The initial phases of evolution, for instance, remain almost hidden except at radio and IR wavelengths. In this…
In this review I will describe a number of recent advances in extragalactic astronomy. First of all I will describe our current best estimates of the star formation history of the Universe. Then I will describe measurements of local…
We present an overview of the main characteristics of several spectroscopic surveys designed to advance our understanding of the physical properties and evolution of massive stars. We also summarize key results obtained from the analysis of…
Early photometric results from JWST have revealed a number of galaxy candidates above redshift 10. The initial estimates of inferred stellar masses and the associated cosmic star formation rates are above most theoretical model predictions…
I will review the role of massive stars in galactic evolution both from the nucleosynthesis and energetics point of view. In particular, I will highlight some important observational facts explained by means of massive stars in galaxies of…
Observational evidence has been mounting over the past decade that at least some luminous (~2 L*) galaxies have formed nearly all of their stars within a short period of time only 1-2x10^9 years after the Big Bang. These are examples of the…
Stellar population synthesis models are an essential tool with which galaxy physical parameters are extracted from observations. However they are built on assumptions designed for use in the local Universe, and not always appropriate to…
I review the properties of starburst galaxies in the nearby and distant universe to decipher their evolution as a distinct extragalactic class. The physical processes and environments of massive star-formation appear to be similar out to z…
We explore the motivation behind large stellar surveys in Galactic astronomy, in particular, surveys that measure the photometric, phase space and abundance properties of thousands or millions of stars. These observations are essential to…
The determination of chemical abundances in star-forming galaxies and the study of their evolution on cosmological timescales are powerful tools for understanding galaxy formation and evolution. This contribution presents the latest results…
It is an obvious statement that all the galaxies we see today in and around our Local Group have been forming and evolving for a significant fraction of the age of the Universe. It is not a great leap of logic to further state that the…
After a brief review of the observational evidences indicating how the populations of Be stars, red/blue supergiants, Wolf-Rayet stars vary as a function of metallicity, we discuss the implications of these observed trend for our…
In discussing open question in the field of massive stars, I consider their evolution from birth to death. After touching upon massive star formation, which may be bi-modal and not lead to a zero-age main sequence at the highest masses, I…
The stellar mass assembly of massive galaxies in the first few billion years of cosmic history remains a central challenge in galaxy formation. Galaxies with $M_\star \gtrsim 10^{10}M_\odot$ observed at $z \gtrsim 4$ must grow rapidly under…
A cosmologically significant population of very luminous high-redshift galaxies has recently been discovered at submm wavelengths. Advances in submm detector technologies have opened this new window on the distant Universe. Here we discuss…
The Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) will gather unprecedented spectro-photometric data on galaxies out to the highest redshifts. It is therefore crucial to identify the spectro-photometric diagnostics within reach of NGST, which will…
Globular star clusters are extremely important astrophysical objects since (1) they are prime laboratories for testing stellar evolution; (2) they are ``fossils'' from the epoch of galaxy formation, and thus important cosmological tools;…