Related papers: Full-Fledged Dwarf Irregular Galaxy Leo A
Two recent observations regarding the halo of M33 seem to contradict each other. First, the star clusters in the halo of M33 exhibit an age range of 5 to 7 Gyr suggesting a formation scenario that involves the chaotic fragmentation and…
The recently discovered Antlia dwarf galaxy in analyzed using VI photometry. The galaxy is resolved into a large number of stars and although the galaxy is intrinsically faint and low surface brightness, its stellar populations reveal…
We present a detailed spatial analysis of stellar populations based on long-slit optical spectra in a sample of eight luminous early-type galaxies selected from nearby sparse groups and pairs, three of them may be interacting with a galaxy…
Based on high-resolution spectra obtained during gravitational microlensing events we present a detailed elemental abundance analysis of 32 dwarf and subgiant stars in the Galactic bulge. [ABRIDGED], we now have 58 microlensed bulge dwarfs…
Dwarf galaxies in the local group provide a unique astrophysical laboratory. In particular, they allow us to probe pulsating (and other) variable stars in low-metallicity environments with abundances below that of the SMC. Our observing…
We performed an uniform spectroscopic analysis of 1111 FGK dwarfs observed as part of the HARPS GTO planet search program. We applied a purely chemical approach, based on [alpha/Fe] ratio, to distinguish the various stellar components in…
The stellar halos of galaxies encode their accretion histories. In particular, the median metallicity of a halo is determined primarily by the mass of the most massive accreted object. We use hydrodynamical cosmological simulations from the…
We characterize the kinematics, morphology, stellar populations and star formation histories of a sample of massive compact galaxies in the nearby Universe, which might provide a closer look to the nature of their high redshift (z > 1.0)…
A galaxy's mean metallicity is usually closely correlated with its luminosity and mass. Consequently the most metal-poor galaxies in the local universe are dwarf galaxies. Blue compact dwarfs and tidal dwarfs tend to deviate from the…
We address the origin of Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies (UDGs), which have stellar masses typical of dwarf galaxies but effective radii of Milky Way-sized objects. Their formation mechanism, and whether they are failed $\rm L_{\star}$ galaxies or…
The Local Group (LG) dwarf galaxies offer a unique window to the detailed properties of the most common type of galaxy in the Universe. In this review, I update the census of LG dwarfs based on the most recent distance and radial velocity…
The star formation histories of Local Group (LG) dwarf galaxies and more distant potential LG members are reviewed. Problems in defining the spatial extent of the LG and membership are briefly discussed. The morphological types found in the…
Studying the evolution of dwarf galaxies can provide insights into the characteristics of systems that can act as building blocks of massive galaxies. This paper discusses the history of star formation and gas flows (inflow and outflow) of…
Star formation histories (SFHs) are essential for understanding galaxy formation and evolution. We present the mean SFHs of 148 dwarf lenticular galaxies (dS0s) derived from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) spectra. These SFHs reveal two…
We present new observations of Sextans and Leo I dwarf galaxies, that provide new insight on their stellar populations. The large sample of stars measured in Sextans allowed us to obtain a reliable estimate of the metal content of this…
In the first part of this contribution the observed velocity dispersions in Galactic halo dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies are reviewed, and the consequences for dark matter content outlined. The results are suggestive of a dSph dark matter…
There are only a few ``dark galaxy'' candidates discovered to date in the local Universe. One of the most prominent of them is the SW component of a merging system HI 1225+01. On the other hand, the number of known very metal-poor gas-rich…
We report the photometric properties of 16 dwarf galaxies, 15 of which are newly identified, in the Western halo of the nearby giant elliptical galaxy NGC5128. All candidates are found at projected distances $\sim\!100\!-\!225$kpc from…
Correlations between stellar kinematics and chemical abundances are fossil evidence for evolutionary connections between Galactic structural components. Extensive stellar surveys show that the only tolerably clear distinction between…
We review Galactic halo formation theories and supporting evidence, in particular kinematics and detailed chemical abundances of stars in some relevant globular clusters as well as Local Group dwarf galaxies. Outer halo red HB clusters tend…