Related papers: Star luminosity function as an age indicator for t…
Using V band photometry of the WINGS survey, we derive galaxy luminosity functions (LF) in nearby clusters. This sample is complete down to Mv=-15.15, and it is homogeneous, thus allowing the study of an unbiased sample of clusters with…
Motivated by recent measurements which suggest that roughly half the mass of the galactic halo may be in the form of white dwarfs, we study the implications of such a halo. We first use current limits on the infrared background light and…
We present a photometric study of the early-type dwarf galaxy population of the Centaurus cluster, aiming at investigating the galaxy luminosity function (LF) and galaxy scaling relations down to the regime of galaxies with M_V~-10 mag. On…
Context. Open clusters are groups of coeval stars sharing properties such as distance and metallicity, and they are key to understanding stellar evolution. Aims. Our main goal is to study the evolution of open clusters with a special focus…
We present new white dwarf cooling models which incorporate an accurate outer boundary condition based on new opacity and detailed radiative transfer calculations. We find that helium atmosphere dwarfs cool considerably faster than has…
We use masses, radii, and luminosities of the detached eclipsing binary OGLEGC17 derived from photometric and spectroscopic observations to calculate the age and distance of the globular cluster omega Cen. Age versus turnoff mass and age…
This paper starts with a brief historical review about the PNLF and its use as a distance indicator. Then the PNLF distances are compared with Surface Brightness Fluctuations (SBF) distances and Tip of the Red Giant Branch (TRGB) distances.…
From deep CCD observations of the cluster Abell 2554 we have recovered the cluster's luminosity distribution over a wide range of magnitude (-24 < M(R) < -16). We compare the derived A2554 cluster luminosity function (at redshift 0.1) with…
The ages of the oldest stars in the Galaxy indicate when star formation began, and provide a minimum age for the Universe. Radioactive dating of meteoritic material and stars relies on comparing the present abundance ratios of radioactive…
We calculate the expected white dwarf luminosity functions and discovery functions in photometric passbands, if these stellar remnants provide a substantial fraction of the sought Galactic dark matter, as suggested on various observational…
The unprecedented detail of the WFPC2 colour-magnitude diagrams of the resolved stellar population of Leo A presented here allows us to determine a new distance and an accurate star formation history for this extremely metal-poor Local…
Ages of extragalactic globular clusters can provide valuable insights into the formation and evolution of galaxies. In this contribution the photometric methods of age dating old globular cluster systems are summarised. The spectroscopic…
New information has recently become available on the fundamental plane for various samples of early-type galaxies with redshift up to 1.3, both in clusters and in the field. This information is reviewed and clues are derived on the…
The empirical relations between rotation period, chromospheric activity, and age can be used to estimate stellar age. To calibrate these relations, we present a catalog, including the masses and ages of 52,321 FGK dwarfs, 47,489…
White dwarfs are the final remnants of low- and intermediate-mass stars. Their evolution is essentially a cooling process that lasts for $\sim 10$ Gyr. Their observed properties provide information about the history of the Galaxy, its dark…
We present a wide-field (4.5 deg^2) photometric and spectroscopic survey of the Leo I dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy to explore its extended morphology and dynamics. As in previous papers in this series, we take advantage of photometry in…
The last few years have seen the discovery of many faint and ultra-faint dwarf spheroidal galaxies around the Milky Way. Among these is a pair of satellites called Leo IV and Leo V. This pair is found at large distances from the Milky Way…
The evolution of white dwarfs is a simple gravothermal process. This means that their luminosity function, i.e. the number of white dwarfs per unit bolometric magnitude and unit volume as a function of bolometric magnitude, is a…
Traditionally globular clusters and dwarf spheroidal galaxies have been distinguished by using one or more of the following criteria: (1) mass, (2) luminosity, (3) size, (4) mass-to-light ratio and (5) spread in metallicity. However, a few…
We analyze the volume-limited nearly complete 100 pc sample of 95 halo white dwarf candidates identified by the second data release of Gaia. Based on a detailed population synthesis model, we apply a method that relies on Gaia astrometry…