Physics Colloquium-March 22, 2012

Improving Mass and Age Estimates of Stellar Clusters, Near and Far

Abstract: Stellar clusters equip astronomers with powerful benchmarks to derive the history and evolution of the galaxies they reside in, provided accurate values of cluster mass, age and distribution can be obtained. However, traditional methods suffer severe challenges in locating and then deriving mass and age estimates of stellar clusters within our own Milky Way galaxy, as well as more distant, unresolved clusters in galaxies beyond our Local Group. We have spent several years developing a robust suite of programs that combine the power of Monte Carlo methods with sophisticated statistical inference. I will describe how our novel analysis will successfully overcome many of the historical challenges found in traditional methods for locating and deriving characteristics of stellar clusters, near and far.

by
Professor Margaret Hanson
Department of Physics, University of Cincinnati