The Integrated Spectra of Stellar Systems

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A study of the old stellar populations in galaxies will be carried out, mainly through an analysis of the integrated spectra of elliptical galaxies and globular clusters. The stellar content of early-type galaxies will be studied through integrated light techniques previously developed. The main focus will be to make a comparative study of elliptical galaxies in dense clusters of galaxies versus galaxies in relatively isolated regions. The effect of environment on the formation and early evolution of these systems will be evaluated. Related work will be done on the disks of spherical galaxies. An exploration of the near-ultraviolet spectrum of elliptical galaxies will also be carried out. Globular clusters are often considered as crucial test cases for integrated light studies, but previous work has demonstrated an unexpected degree of complexity in their integrated spectra. Several projects will be carried out to better understand this complex behavior. An alternative to studying the old population in external galaxies is to carry out a detailed study of the collapse and early chemical enrichment of our Galaxy. An objective prism survey of both galactic poles will be done. The survey is designed to produce high-quality radial velocities and atmospheric parameters for a very large number of stars. The perpendicular physical structure of our Galaxy in density, chemical composition, and kinematics will be determined.