Magellanic Cloud Clusters

麦哲伦星云中的星团系统为这两个星系的历史提供了一个理想的信息来源。通过测量星团的年龄和确定它们的化学丰度，有可能重建星团形成速度的历史，并探索化学富集的问题。霍奇博士将继续使用最先进的探测器对关键星团进行观测工作。他将集中研究三个特殊问题：1)包含造父变星的星团；2)星系团寿命与位置和质量的关系；3)非常年轻的星团是恒星形成区域的凝聚物。这项工作的一个重要副产品是将观测结果与年龄和丰度的理论进化轨迹进行比较，这是我们银河系中人口稠密的星系团无法获得的。此外，光度法观测允许对大麦哲伦星云的距离测定进行测试，这一点一直受到质疑。

The system of star clusters in the Magellanic Clouds provides an ideal source of information on the history of these two galaxies. By measuring the ages of the clusters and by determining their chemical abundances, it is possible to reconstruct the history of the rate of cluster formation, as well as to explore the question of chemical enrichment. Dr. Hodge will continue observational work on key star clusters using state of the art detectors. He will concentrate on three special problems: 1) clusters containing Cepheid variables; 2) cluster lifetimes as a function of position and cluster mass; and 3) very young clusters as condensations in star forming regions. An important by product of this work is the comparison of observations with theoretical evolutionary tracks of ages and abundances that are not available from well populated clusters in our Galaxy. Furthermore, photometry observations allow a test of the distance determination of the Large Magellanic Cloud, which has been questioned.