Related papers: Structural evolution in elliptical galaxies: the a…
We present optical VLT spectroscopy of 16 dwarf elliptical galaxies (or dEs) comparable in mass to NGC 205, and belonging to the Fornax cluster and to nearby groups of galaxies. Using ULySS and STECKMAP, we derive radial profiles of the…
We study the stellar populations of 1,923 elliptical galaxies at z<0.05 selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey as a function of velocity dispersion, sigma, and environment. We construct average, high signal-to-noise spectra and find the…
It is commonly accepted that a merger of two spiral galaxies results in a remnant with an elliptical-like surface-brightness profile. Surprisingly, our recent study (Chitre & Jog 2002) of the 2MASS data for twenty-seven advanced mergers of…
Compact elliptical galaxies are characterized by small sizes and high stellar densities. They are thought to form through tidal stripping of massive progenitors. However, only a handful of them were known, preventing us from understanding…
An excellent candidate for a young elliptical, or `protoelliptical' galaxy is NGC 1700. Here we present new B, V and I band imaging using the Keck telescope and reanalyse existing V and I band images from the Hubble Space Telescope. After…
Recent progress is summarized on the determination of the density distributions of stars and dark matter, stellar kinematics, and stellar population properties, in the extended, low surface brightness halo regions of elliptical galaxies.…
We find a distinct stellar population in the counter-rotating and kinematically decoupled core of the isolated massive elliptical galaxy NGC 1700. Coinciding with the edge of this core we find a significant change in the slope of the…
We present accurate relative ages for a sample of 55 Galactic globular clusters. The ages have been obtained by measuring the difference between the horizontal branch and the turnoff in two, internally photometrically homogeneous databases.…
In this paper we compute new multi-zone photo-chemical evolution models for elliptical galaxies, taking into account detailed nucleosynthetic yields, feedback from supernovae and an initial infall episode. By comparing model predictions…
The most accurate current methods for determining the ages of open star clusters, stellar associations and stellar streams are based on isochrone fitting or the lithium depletion boundary. We propose another method for dating these objects…
Elliptical galaxies are believed to consist of a single population of old stars formed together at an early epoch in the Universe, yet recent analyses of galaxy spectra seem to indicate the presence of significant younger populations of…
The traditional view of elliptical galaxies has been that they formed in a single, rapid burst of star formation at high redshift, and have evolved quiescently since that time. In opposition to this traditional view is evidence that at…
We have explored the buildup of the local mass-size relation of elliptical galaxies using two visually classified samples. At low redshift we compiled a subsample of 2,656 elliptical galaxies from SDSS, whereas at higher redshift (up to…
The inner and outer shapes and orientations of core-Sersic galaxies may hold important clues to their formation and evolution. We have therefore measured the central and outer ellipticities and position angles for a sample of 24 core-Sersic…
The knowledge of stellar ages directly impacts the characterization of a planetary system as it puts strong constraints on the moment when the system was born. Unfortunately, the determination of precise stellar ages is a very difficult…
A growing body of observational evidence suggests that the luminosity, photometric shape and amount of rotational or anisotropical support in elliptical galaxies may provide vital clues to how they formed. Elliptical galaxies appear to fall…
We analyze the vertical distribution of the resolved stellar populations in six low-mass, edge-on, spiral galaxies observed with the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys. In each galaxy we find evidence for an extraplanar…
Hierarchical star formation leads to a progressive decrease in the clustering of star clusters both in terms of spatial scale and age. Consistently, the statistical analysis of positions and ages of clusters in the Milky Way disk strongly…
Recent analysis of stellar populations in barred galaxies have focused on the spatial distribution of stellar population ages and metallicities. However, barred galaxies are complex objects where dynamical instabilities play a leading role…
We consider models of gas flow in spiral galaxies in which the spiral structure has been excited by various possible mechanisms: a global steady density wave, self-gravity of the stellar disc and an external tidal interaction, as well as…