Related papers: Resolved and unresolved populations: statistics an…
In terms of statistical fluctuations, stellar population synthesis models are only asymptotically correct in the limit of a large number of stars, where sampling errors become asymptotically small. When dealing with stellar clusters,…
The stochastic nature of the IMF in young stellar clusters implies that clusters of the same mass and age do not present the same unique values of their observed parameters. Instead they follow a distribution. We address the study of such…
The probabilistic nature of the IMF in stellar systems implies that clusters of the same mass and age do not present the same unique values of their observed parameters. Instead they follow a distribution. We address the study of such…
Synthesis models predict the integrated properties of stellar populations. Several problems exist in this field, mostly related to the fact that integrated properties are distributed. To date, this aspect has been either ignored (as in…
When evolutionary synthesis models take into account the stochastic nature of the IMF together with the discrete number of stars in real stellar clusters, typical output turns to dispersion band (where real data can be placed) instead of…
The binary fraction of a stellar population can have pronounced effects on its properties, and in particular the number counts of different massive star types, and the relative subtype rates of the supernovae which end their lives. Here we…
Evolutionary synthesis models have been used to study the physical properties of unresolved populations in a wide range of scenarios. Unfortunately, their self-consistency are difficult to test and there are some theoretical open questions…
Many aspects of the evolution of stars, and in particular the evolution of binary stars, remain beyond our ability to model them in detail. Instead, we rely on observations to guide our often phenomenological models and pin down uncertain…
The basic assumptions behind Population Synthesis and Spectral Evolution models are reviewed. The numerical problems encountered by the standard population synthesis technique when applied to models with truncated star formation rates are…
Uncertainties in stellar population models, both in terms of stellar evolution and stellar spectra, translate into uncertainties in our interpretation of stellar populations in galaxies, since stars are the source of most of the light we…
We summarise recent developments on synthesis models for massive star populations with a particular emphasis on Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars. Quantitative analysis of the stellar content of WR galaxies are reviewed. Comparing observations of WR…
We present preliminary results from spectral synthesis models of old stellar populations for the spectral range 912-4000 A with ~ 10A resolution, which can be used to investigate the UVX phenomenon and to assess ages and abundances. Model…
The evolution of AGB stars is notoriously complex. The confrontation of AGB population models with observed stellar populations is a useful alternative to the detailed study of individual stars in efforts to converge towards a reliable…
We discuss differences between massive single star and massive close binary population number synthesis predictions of WR stars. We show that the WC/WN number ratio as function of metallicity depends significantly on whether or not binaries…
Evolutionary population synthesis models for a wide range of metallicities, ages, star formation histories, and Horizontal Branch morphologies, including blue morphologies at high metallicity, are computed. The energetics of the post Main…
The evolution of differential ages of passive galaxies at different redshifts (cosmic chronometers) has been proved to be a method potentially able to constrain the Hubble parameter in a cosmology-independent way, but the systematic…
Evolutionary synthesis models are a fundamental tool to interpret the properties of observed stellar systems. In order to achieve a meaningful comparison between models and real data, it is necessary to calibrate the models themselves, i.e.…
Ranging from track interpolation techniques through model atmospheres to the stochastic nature of the IMF, there are many uncertainties which need to be taken into account when modelling HR diagrams or performing population synthesis,…
We present and discuss evolutionary synthesis models for massive stellar populations generated with the Starburst99 code in combination with a new set of stellar evolution models accounting for rotation. The new stellar evolution models…
In this contribution we investigate how to describe the results and usage of evolutionary synthesis models. In particular, we look for an explicit and quantitative description of the parameter space of synthesis models and the evaluation of…