Investigating the Evolution of Dwarf Galaxies in the Local Group

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Smecker-Hane, Tammy 96-19460 Dr. Smecker-Hane and collaborators will determine the star-formation and chemical-evolution histories of dwarf galaxies in the Local Group. They will combine photometry of stars from the tip of the giant branch to well below the main- sequence turnoff with spectroscopic metallicity determinations for a few hundred stars in each of three galaxies. A fourth galaxy will be observed with the Keck 10-m telescope to determine compositions for stars outside of the inner regions of our own Galaxy. The abundance patterns will lead to estimates of how the star-formation rate and gas content evolved. These studies will be combined with new theoretical models and numerical simulations of dwarf galaxies. Comparing the models with the data obtained will lead to fundamental advances in understanding the physical mechanisms that control the evolution of galaxies.