Related papers: Stellar features in integrated starburst spectra a…
The optical/near-IR stellar continuum carries unique information about the stellar population in a galaxy, its mass function and star-formation history. Star-forming regions display rich emission-line spectra from which we can derive the…
We present integrated optical spectrophotometry for a sample of 417 nearby galaxies. Our observations consist of spatially integrated, S/N=10-100 spectroscopy between 3600 and 6900 Angstroms at ~8 Angstroms FWHM resolution. In addition, we…
The current state-of-the-art of multi-wavelength diagnostic tools (evolutionary synthesis, photoionisation models) for massive star forming regions (HII regions, starbursts, etc.) and some of their input physics (especially model…
The connection between AGB evolution of stellar populations and infrared vs. ultraviolet properties of the parent galaxies is reviewed relying on the updated lookout provided by population-synthesis theory. In particular, planetary-nebula…
Since the early 1970s, stellar population modelling has been one of the basic tools for understanding the physics of unresolved systems from observation of their integrated light. Models allow us to relate the integrated spectra (or…
The study of stellar populations is a discipline that is highly dependent on both imaging and spectroscopy. I discuss techniques in different regimes of resolving power: broadband imaging (R~4), intermediate band imaging (R~16, 64),…
The efficient use of near-IR data in studies of external stellar populations depends on our ability to recognize the nature of the predominant sources of light, and to interprete these findings in terms of age and metallicity. Here we focus…
The reddening properties and the star formation history of a sample of 19 starburst galaxies are investigated using multiwavelength spectroscopy and infrared broad band photometry. The difference in reddening between the ionized gas and the…
RHII and starbursts are both powered by massive stars. They are the main contributors to the heating of the ISM via radiative and mechanical energy. Techniques to derive the stellar content and the evolutionary state of RHIIs and starbursts…
In systems undergoing starbursts the evolution of the young stellar population is expected to drive changes in the emission line properties. This evolution is usually studied theoretically, with a combination of evolutionary synthesis…
Resolution of nearby giant HII regions into their stellar and nebular constituents provides fundamental insights for interpreting more distant and powerful starburst activity. The following summarizes recent advances in our understanding of…
We investigate the nature of the diffuse intra-cluster ultraviolet light seen in twelve local starburst galaxies, using long-slit ultraviolet spectroscopy obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) aboard the Hubble Space…
We present an analysis of the integrated properties of the stellar populations in the Universidad Complutense de Madrid Survey of Halpha-selected galaxies. In this paper, the first of a series, we describe in detail the techniques developed…
The physical properties of galaxies are encoded within their spectral energy distribution and require comparison with models to be extracted. These models must contain a synthetic stellar population and, where infrared data is to be used,…
Stars stripped of their envelopes from interaction with a binary companion emit a significant fraction of their radiation as ionizing photons. They are potentially important stellar sources of ionizing radiation, however, they are still…
Stellar population studies provide unique clues to constrain galaxy formation models. So far, detailed studies based on absorption line strengths have mainly focused on the optical spectral range although many diagnostic features are…
Inference of the physical properties of stellar populations from observed photometry and spectroscopy is a key goal in the study of galaxy evolution. In recent years the quality and quantity of the available data has increased, and there…
Emission lines in ionized nebulae can provide strong and useful constraints on the properties of both ionizing and non-ionizing stellar populations in regions with star formation, provided that stellar evolution and stellar atmosphere…
I present a discussion of fundamental stellar parameters and their observational determination in the context of interferometric measurements with current and future optical/infrared interferometric facilities. Stellar parameters and the…
It is currently impossible to determine the abundances and ages of the stellar populations of distant, dense stellar systems star by star. Therefore, methods to analyze the composite light of stellar systems are required. I review the…