Optical and near-infrared colours as a discriminant of the age and metallicity of stellar populations

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Optical and near-infrared colours as a discriminant of the age and metallicity of stellar populations. / Carter, David; Smith, Daniel J. B.; Percival, Susan M. et al.
In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 397, No. 2, 01.08.2009, p. 695-708.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Carter, D, Smith, DJB, Percival, SM, Baldry, IK, Collins, CA, James, PA, Salaris, M, Simpson, C, Stott, JP & Mobasher, B 2009, 'Optical and near-infrared colours as a discriminant of the age and metallicity of stellar populations', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 397, no. 2, pp. 695-708. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15022.x

APA

Carter, D., Smith, D. J. B., Percival, S. M., Baldry, I. K., Collins, C. A., James, P. A., Salaris, M., Simpson, C., Stott, J. P., & Mobasher, B. (2009). Optical and near-infrared colours as a discriminant of the age and metallicity of stellar populations. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 397(2), 695-708. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15022.x

Vancouver

Carter D, Smith DJB, Percival SM, Baldry IK, Collins CA, James PA et al. Optical and near-infrared colours as a discriminant of the age and metallicity of stellar populations. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 2009 Aug 1;397(2):695-708. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15022.x

Author

Carter, David ; Smith, Daniel J. B. ; Percival, Susan M. et al. / Optical and near-infrared colours as a discriminant of the age and metallicity of stellar populations. In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 2009 ; Vol. 397, No. 2. pp. 695-708.

Bibtex

@article{dd5725ca6e084d3188b7c6acaa13cfc2,

title = "Optical and near-infrared colours as a discriminant of the age and metallicity of stellar populations",

abstract = "We present a comprehensive analysis of the ability of current stellar population models to reproduce the optical (ugriz) and near-infrared (JHK) colours of a small sample of well-studied nearby elliptical and S0 galaxies. We find broad agreement between the ages and metallicities derived using different population models, although different models show different systematic deviations from the measured broad-band fluxes. Although it is possible to constrain simple stellar population models to a well-defined area in age-metallicity space, there is a clear degeneracy between these parameters even with such a full range of precise colours. The precision to which age and metallicity can be determined independently, using only broad-band photometry with realistic errors, is Δ[Fe/H] ≃ 0.18 and Δlog Age ≃ 0.25. To constrain the populations and therefore the star formation history further, it will be necessary to combine broad-band optical-IR photometry with either spectral line indices, or else photometry at wavelengths outside this range.",

keywords = "Galaxies: elliptical and lenticular, cD, Galaxies: stellar content",

author = "David Carter and Smith, {Daniel J. B.} and Percival, {Susan M.} and Baldry, {Ivan K.} and Collins, {Christopher A.} and James, {Philip A.} and Maurizio Salaris and Chris Simpson and Stott, {John P.} and Bahram Mobasher",

year = "2009",

month = aug,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15022.x",

language = "English",

volume = "397",

pages = "695--708",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",

issn = "0035-8711",

publisher = "OXFORD UNIV PRESS",

number = "2",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Optical and near-infrared colours as a discriminant of the age and metallicity of stellar populations

AU - Carter, David

AU - Smith, Daniel J. B.

AU - Percival, Susan M.

AU - Baldry, Ivan K.

AU - Collins, Christopher A.

AU - James, Philip A.

AU - Salaris, Maurizio

AU - Simpson, Chris

AU - Stott, John P.

AU - Mobasher, Bahram

PY - 2009/8/1

Y1 - 2009/8/1

N2 - We present a comprehensive analysis of the ability of current stellar population models to reproduce the optical (ugriz) and near-infrared (JHK) colours of a small sample of well-studied nearby elliptical and S0 galaxies. We find broad agreement between the ages and metallicities derived using different population models, although different models show different systematic deviations from the measured broad-band fluxes. Although it is possible to constrain simple stellar population models to a well-defined area in age-metallicity space, there is a clear degeneracy between these parameters even with such a full range of precise colours. The precision to which age and metallicity can be determined independently, using only broad-band photometry with realistic errors, is Δ[Fe/H] ≃ 0.18 and Δlog Age ≃ 0.25. To constrain the populations and therefore the star formation history further, it will be necessary to combine broad-band optical-IR photometry with either spectral line indices, or else photometry at wavelengths outside this range.

AB - We present a comprehensive analysis of the ability of current stellar population models to reproduce the optical (ugriz) and near-infrared (JHK) colours of a small sample of well-studied nearby elliptical and S0 galaxies. We find broad agreement between the ages and metallicities derived using different population models, although different models show different systematic deviations from the measured broad-band fluxes. Although it is possible to constrain simple stellar population models to a well-defined area in age-metallicity space, there is a clear degeneracy between these parameters even with such a full range of precise colours. The precision to which age and metallicity can be determined independently, using only broad-band photometry with realistic errors, is Δ[Fe/H] ≃ 0.18 and Δlog Age ≃ 0.25. To constrain the populations and therefore the star formation history further, it will be necessary to combine broad-band optical-IR photometry with either spectral line indices, or else photometry at wavelengths outside this range.

KW - Galaxies: elliptical and lenticular, cD

KW - Galaxies: stellar content

U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15022.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15022.x

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:67651119927

VL - 397

SP - 695

EP - 708

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

SN - 0035-8711

IS - 2

ER -

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