Nós realizamos um estudo estatístico do comportamento de perfis de cor em bandas largas (UBV) para 257 galáxias espirais do tipo Sbc, ordinárias e barradas, utilizando dados obtidos através de fotometria fotoelétrica de abertura, disponíveis na literatura (Longo & de Vaucouleurs 1983,1985). Nós determinamos os gradientes de cor (B-V) e (U-B) para as galáxias da amostra total, bem como os índices de cor (B-V) e (U-B) de bojos e discos separadamente, utilizando métodos estatísticos robustos. Utilizamos uma técnica de decomposição bi-dimensional para modelar os perfis de brilho de bojos e discos em imagens dos arquivos do ``Digitised Sky Survey' (DSS), obtendo parâmetros estruturais característicos para 39 galáxias. A aquisição de imagens de 14 galáxias no Laboratório Nacional de Astrofísica permitiu-nos realizar um estudo fotométrico comparativo, e atestar a validade dos resultados obtidos neste estudo. Entre os principais resultados obtidos, destacam-se: (i) - 65% das galáxias possuem gradientes de cor negativos (mais vermelhos no centro), 25% possuem gradientes nulos, e 10% apresentam gradientes positivos; (ii) - galáxias que apresentam gradientes de cor nulos tendem a ser barradas; (iii) - os índices de cor ao longo das galáxias com gradientes nulos são similares aos índices de cor dos discos das galáxias com gradientes negativos; (iv) - confirmamos a correlação entre os índices de cor de bojos e discos, já obtida por outros autores; (v) - a ausência de correlação entre os gradientes de cor e de metalicidade sugere que o excesso de galáxias barradas com gradientes de cor nulos ou positivos reflete uma diferença no comportamento da idade média da população estelar ao longo de galáxias barradas e ordinárias; (vi) - galáxias com gradientes de cor nulos ou positivos têm uma leve tendência a apresentar bojos maiores e com maior concentração central de luz; e (vii) - confirmamos a correlação entre as escalas de comprimento de bojos e discos, já obtida por outros autores. Estes resultados são compatíveis e favoráveis ao cenário de evolução secular, no qual barras produzem fluxos radiais de massa para as regiões centrais de galáxias, não somente homogeneizando as populações estelares ao longo de galáxias, produzindo discos e bojos com índices de cor semelhantes, mas também contribuindo para a formação e/ou construção de bojos. / We have done a statistical study of the behaviour of the broadband color profiles (UBV) for 257 Sbc galaxies, barred and unbarred, collecting data obtained through photoeletric aperture photometry, available in the literature (Longo & de Vaucouleurs 1983,1985). We have determined (B-V) and (U-B) color gradients for the total sample of galaxies, as well as (B-V) and (U-B) color indices of bulges and disks separately, using robust statistical methods. Applying a bi-dimensional decomposition technique to model the brightness profiles of bulges and disks in images from the Digitised Sky Survey (DSS), we obtained characteristic structural parameters for 39 galaxies. The acquisition of images for 14 galaxies in the Laboratório Nacional de Astrofísica (Astrophysics National Laboratory) allowed us to do a comparative photometric study, and verify the validity of the results obtained in this work. Among the main results obtained, we point out: (i) - 65% of the galaxies have negative color gradients (reddish inward), 25% have zero gradients, and 10% show positive gradients; (ii) - galaxies that show zero color gradients tend to be barred; (iii) - the color indices along the galaxies with zero color gradients are similar to the color indices of the disks of the galaxies with negative color gradients; (iv) - we confirm the correlation between the color indices of bulges and disks, already found by other authors; (v) - the absence of correlation between color and metallicity gradients suggests that the excess of barred galaxies with zero or positive color gradients reflects a difference in the behaviour of the mean age of the stellar population along barred and unbarred galaxies; (vi) - galaxies with zero or positive color gradients show a slight tendency of having larger bulges, with a greater central concentration of light; and (vii) - we confirm the correlation between the scale lenghts of bulges and disks, already found by other authors. These results are compatible and favourable to the secular evolutionary scenario, in which stellar bars induce radial mass fluxes to the central regions of galaxies, not only turning homogeneous the stellar populations along the galaxies, producing disks and bulges with similar color indices, but also contributing to the formation and/or building of galactic bulges.

abstract: Ultraviolet and optical light from stars is reddened and attenuated by interstellar dust, where different sightlines across a galaxy suffer varying amounts of extinction. Tamura et al. (2009) developed an approximate method to correct for dust extinction, dubbed the “βV method,” by comparing the observed to an empirical estimate of the intrinsic flux ratio of visible and ∼3.5 μm emission. Moving beyond that empirical approach, through extensive modeling, I calibrated the βV -method for various filters spanning the visible through near infrared wavelength range, for a wide variety of simple stellar populations (SSP) and composite stellar populations (CSP). Combining Starburst99 and BC03 models, I built spectral energy distributions of SSP and CSP for various realistic star formation histories, while taking metallicity evolution into account. I convolved various 0.44–1.65 μm filter throughput curves with each model spectral energy distribution (SED) to obtain intrinsic flux ratios, βλ,0. To validate the modeling, I analyzed spatially resolved maps for the observed V- and g-band to 3.6 μm flux ratios and the inferred dust-extinction values AV for a sample of 257 nearby galaxies. Flux ratio maps are constructed using point-spread function-matched mosaics of Sloan Digitial Sky Survey g- and r-band images and Spitzer/InfraRed Array Camera 3.6μm mosaics, with all of the pixels contaminated by foreground stars or background objects masked out. Dust-extinction maps for each galaxy were created by applying the βV -method. The typical 1σ scatter in βV around the average, both within a galaxy and in each morphological type bin, is ∼20%. Combined, these result in a ∼0.4 mag scatter in AV. βV becomes insensitive to small-scale variations in stellar populations once resolution elements subtend an area larger than 10 times that of a typical giant molecular cloud. I find noticeably redder V−3.6 μm colors in the center of star-forming galaxies and galaxies with a weak AGN. The derived intrinsic V −3.6 μm colors for each Hubble type are generally consistent with the modeling. Finally, I discuss the applicability of the βV dust-correction method to more distant galaxies, for which large samples of well-matched Hubble Space Telescope rest-frame visible and James Webb Space Telescope rest-frame ∼3.5μm images will become available in the near future. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Astrophysics 2019

No description available.

Galaxy evolution depends on a diverse suite of factors, from the environment in which the galaxy exists to the number of supernovae that explode throughout its history. The structure and stellar populations present will also be altered by a galaxy's merger history, stellar mass, star formation rate, among other influences. Some factors, like mergers, are dependent on the environment of the galaxy, while others, like feedback from star formation, are intrinsic to the galaxy themselves. Dwarf galaxies are sensitive to many of these factors due to their smaller masses, hence shallower potential wells. Dwarfs are also interesting in themselves as the least massive structures that can form stars, forming the faint limit of galaxy types. There is some indication that the evolutionary pathway of dwarfs might be different than their more massive counterparts. Indeed, some dwarfs may be the stripped remnants of larger galaxy after a major interaction. Regardless, dwarfs are thought to be the building blocks of larger galaxies via hierarchical galaxy formation and understanding these small dwarfs helps us build a more complete picture of galaxy formation and evolution at all masses. As dwarfs generally have low stellar mass, they are very faint. Our most complete sample of dwarfs is therefore restricted to those that are nearby. These nearby systems are dominated by dwarfs satellite to the Milky Way and M31. However, the evolution of these satellites will be greatly influenced by their massive host. By studying nearby isolated dwarfs, we can try to separate the secular evolutionary processes of dwarfs from the influence of their larger host. Additionally, stellar populations can be resolved in these nearby galaxies, and so their structures can be probed to much fainter regimes than integrated light studies allow. The Sagittarius Dwarf Irregular Galaxy (Sag DIG) is one of the most isolated, low mass galaxies, located at the edge of the Local Group. Its isolation from other galaxies coupled with its relative proximity provide an excellent opportunity to study the intrinsic properties of this low mass system. We preform an in-depth analysis of its resolved stellar populations and its structural properties as the first galaxy in the larger dataset, Solitary Local Dwarfs Survey (Solo). Solo is a wide field photometric study targeting every isolated dwarf galaxy within 3 Mpc of the Milky Way. Solo is based on (u)gi multi-band imaging from CFHT/MegaCam for northern targets, and Magellan/Megacam for southern targets. All galaxies fainter than M ~ -18 (in the V band) situated beyond the nominal virial radius of the Milky Way and M31 (> 300 kpc) are included in this volume-limited sample, for a total of 42 targets. For Sag DIG, we provide updated estimates of its central surface brightness and integrated luminosity, and trace its surface brightness profile to a level fainter than 30 mag./sq.arcsec. Sag DIG is well described by a highly elliptical (disk-like) system following a single component Sersic model. However, a low-level distortion is present at the outer edges of the galaxy that, were Sag DIG not so isolated, would likely be attributed to some kind of previous tidal interaction. Further, we find evidence of an extremely low level, extended distribution of stars beyond ~5 arcmins (> 1.5 kpc) that suggests Sag DIG may be embedded in a very low density stellar halo. We compare the stellar and HI structures of Sag DIG, and discuss results for this galaxy in relation to other isolated, dwarf irregular galaxies in the Local Group. Sag DIG, and the similarly isolated dwarf Aquarius, both have HI distributions that are more circular than their stellar components. In contrast, Wolf - Lundmark - Mellote (WLM), another isolated but slightly more massive dwarf, has stellar and HI components that trace each other well. Sag DIG and Aquarius also differ in that there is no signature of rotation in the HI of Sag DIG, while there is clear rotation in both the HI and stellar component for Aquarius. These preliminary comparisons demonstrate some of the potential analysis which will be possible on a much larger scale with the full Solo Survey. / Graduate / 0606 / higgs@uvic.ca

In this thesis I investigate the dynamics and stellar populations of a sample of 28 edge-on early-type (S0--Sb) disk galaxies, 22 of which host a boxy or peanut-shaped bulge. I begin by constructing mass models of the galaxies based on their observed photometry and stellar kinematics. Subject to cosmologically motivated assumptions about the shape of dark haloes, I measure in a purely dynamical way their stellar and dark masses. I make a preliminary comparison between the dynamically determined stellar masses and those predicted by stellar population models. I then compare the Tully-Fisher (luminosity--velocity) relations of the spirals and S0s in the sample. I show that S0s are systematically fainter at a given rotational velocity, but the amount by which they are fainter is less than expected by models in which they are the products of truncation of star formation in spirals. This raises the possibility that S0s are smaller or more concentrated than spirals of the same mass. I then study the vertical structure of the boxy and peanut-shaped bulges of a subset of the sample. Among this sample of five galaxies, I find one example in which the stellar populations show no evidence that the bulge and the disk formed in different processes, and in which the bulge is in perfectly cylindrical rotation, i.e. its line-of-sight velocity does not change with height above the disk. This galaxy is probably a pure disk galaxy. However, even with this small sample, I also show that cylindrical rotation and homogeneous stellar populations are not ubiquitous properties of boxy and peanut-shaped bulges. Finally I analyse central and radial trends in the stellar populations of the bulges of full sample of 28 galaxies. I find that, at a given velocity dispersion, the central stellar populations of these barred early-type disk galaxies are identical to those of elliptical galaxies, which suggests that secular evolution does not dominate the centre of these galaxies. However, the radial metallicity gradients are shallower than those of ellipticals. This is qualitatively consistent with chemodynamical models of bar formation, in which radial inflow and outflow smears out pre-existing gradients.

Pagrindinis šio darbo tikslas buvo atlikti vizualinių dvinarių žvaigždžių TDSC katalogo statistinę analizę, iš šio katalogo atrinkti skirtingų žvaigždžių populiacijų rinkinius ir tuos rinkinius palyginti. Kataloge esantys žvaigždžių duomenys buvo skaičiuojami ir analizuojami pasinaudojant StatSoft STATISTICA kompiuterinių programų paketu. Siekiant atlikti TDSC katalogo statistinę analizę, nustatėme papildomus žvaigždžių parametrus: spalvos rodiklius (B - V)T, pilnus savuosius judėjimus μ, redukuotus savuosius judėjimus HvT. Be to, apskaičiavome šių parametrų absoliutines paklaidas. Visi šie duomenys vėliau buvo panaudoti atliekant statistinę analizę ir sudarant histogramas. Pasinaudoję Jones (1971) straipsnyje publikuotu būdu (pagal žvaigždžių spalvos rodiklių (B - V)T , redukuotų savųjų judėjimų HvT, ir tangentinių greičių Vtan ribas), iš katalogo atrinkome II populiacijos žvaigždes. Visų pirma, atrinkome tik tokias žvaigždes, kurių spalvos rodiklių ir redukuotų savųjų judėjimų reikšmės tenkina tokias sąlygas: HvT ≥ 8,68+4,4*(B-V)T, 0,30 ≤ (B-V)T ≤ 0,80; HvT ≥ 10,2571+2,4286*(B-V)T, 0,80 < (B-V)T ≤ 1,50; HvT ≥ 13,9, (B-V)T > 1,50; Vėliau, iš šių (atitinkančių anksčiau išvardintas sąlygas) žvaigždžių atrinkome tik tas, kurių tangentinių greičių reikšmės tenkino sąlygą Vtan ≥ 60 (km/s). Kadangi TDSC kataloge duomenų apie žvaigždžių atstumus nepateikta, tangentinių greičių nustatymui pasinaudojome paralaksų duomenimis, kuriuos radome kitame astronominių duomenų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The main goals of this work were to perform the statistical analysis of visual binaries from the TDSC (Tycho Double Star Catalogue), divide this catalog into separated sets of stars by their populations, and finally, to compare these stellar populations. All of the catalog data were computed and analyzed by using StatSoft STATISTICA software. To perform the full statistical analysis of the TDSC catalog, we defined additional stellar parameters, like: color index (B – V)T, full proper motion μ, reduced proper motion HvT. In addition, the absolute errors for these parameters were estimated. After that, all of the data were used in statistical analysis, and part of it was used in the creation of histograms. The II population of stars was extracted from catalog using the technique published by Jones (1971). This extraction of II population stars was made by using the limited ranges of star color indexes (B – V)T, reduced proper motions HvT, and tangential velocities Vtan. At first, these ranges of star color index and reduced proper motion were used: HvT ≥ 8,68+4,4*(B-V)T, 0,30 ≤ (B-V)T ≤ 0,80; HvT ≥ 10,2571+2,4286*(B-V)T, 0,80 < (B-V)T ≤ 1,50; HvT ≥ 13,9, (B-V)T > 1,50; Second step, the limit of tangential velocity was added, where Vtan ≥ 60 (km/s). Because of lack of information in TDSC catalog about distances of stars, to determine the tangential velocity, we were forced to use the parallax information from additional catalog (van Leeuwen, 2007.). The... [to full text]

Ma thèse s'inscrit dans l'étude de la physique extragalactique. Pendant mes trois années de thèse j'ai travaillé sur les méthodes d'ajustement de la distribution d'énergie spectrale des galaxies (ou SED fitting) en effectuant un bilan énergétique entre l'émission en ultraviolet et l'émission en infrarouge. A cet effet j'ai très largement utilisé le code CIGALE (Burgarella et al. 2005, Noll et al. 2009) qui permet d'estimer les paramètres physiques des galaxies à partir de l'analyse de leur émission dans des bandes larges et intermédiares de l'ultraviolet au submillimétrique. J'ai procédé pendant ma thèse à des améliorations de ce code en rajoutant des paramètres d'extinction en sortie et j'ai implémenté plusieurs modèles d'émission de noyaux actifs de galaxies pour compléter les modèles existants.En parallèle de l'étude de la méthode de SED fitting avec des données en bandes larges et intermédiaires, j'ai développé la construction originale d'un catalogue de galaxies artificielles, dont le but est de déterminer la fiabilité des paramètres de sortie du code CIGALE et des codes de SED fitting en général. La technique du SED fitting m'a permis d'analyser plusieurs échantillons de galaxies dans l'univers proche et dans l'univers lointain possédant des données multi longueurs d'onde. Pratiquement j'ai travaillé avec des données allant de l'ultraviolet (GALEX) à l'infrarouge lointain avec les téléscopes spatiaux AKARI et Herschel. Les données AKARI couplées à des données ancillaires ont été à la base d'une étude de galaxies de l'univers local pour lesquelles j'ai pu déterminer la quantité d'atténuation.J'ai également travaillé avec les données Herschel en tant que membre des consortiums HerMES et GOODS-H. Dans le cadre du projet GOODS-H j'ai participé à la mise en évidence et à l'étude du "bump" à 2175 A d'un échantillon de galaxies distantes ainsi qu'à la formulation d'une loi d'atténuation pour ces objets. Dans le cadre d'un groupe de travail sur le SED fitting au sein d'HerMES j'ai participé à l'étude d'un échantillon de galaxies avec 0<z<3 afin de déterminer la fiabilité des paramètres physiques estimés par différents codes de SED fitting.Une partie de ma thèse a été consacrée à l'étude de galaxies distantes et lumineuses en infrarouge et à la détermination des caractéristiques physiques de ces objets grâce au code CIGALE. L'étude des paramètres de formation stellaire et d'atténuation ont fait l'objet d'un article, Giovannoli et al. (2011) paru dans la revue scientifique A&A. Toujours dans le cadre du projet HerMES j'ai pu avoir accès aux données du télescope spatial Herschel pour ces objets et donc poursuivre mon étude afin de déterminer l'importance des données infrarouges et submillimétriques pour l'étude des galaxies à haut redshift. / My PhD thesis takes part of extragalactic physics. During three years I have worked on the fit of the spectral energy distribution (SED fitting) of galaxies by doing an energetic budget between the emission at ultraviolet wavelengths and the one at infrared wavelengths. I have extensively used the code CIGALE (Burgarella et al. 2005, Noll et al. 2009) allowing to estimate the physical parameters of galaxies from their broad bands and intermediate bands emission from ultraviolet wavelengths to submillimetric wavelengths. During my thesis I have improved this code by adding output parameters and several templates of active galactic nuclei to those already available.While I have studied the SED fitting technics I have also built original mock catalogues of galaxies to determine the reliability of the output parameters of CIGALE and, more generally, the reliability of parameters estimated by SED fitting codes.I have used the SED fitting method to analyse several samples of galaxies from low redshift to high redshift, with multi wavelength detections. I have used data from the ultraviolet (GALEX) to the far infrared using data from AKARI and Herschel space observatory. I have matched the AKARI data to ancillary data at other wavelengths to study nearby galaxies and determine their dust attenuation quantity. I have used Herschel data as part of HerMES and GOODS-H consortium members. In the framework of the GOODS-H project I have worked on the determination and the study of the so-called ultraviolet bump at 2175 A for a sample of high-redshift galaxies, and on the formulation of an attenuation law for these objects. In the framework of HerMES I have worked with the SED fitting working group to study a sample of galaxies with 0<z<3 to determine the reliability of the physical parameters of these objects estimated with differents SED fitting codes.A part of my thesis was devoted to the study of a sample of distant galaxies, luminous at infrared wavelengths. I have determined the physical parameters of these objects thanks to the code CIGALE. The study of the star formation parameters and the attenuation parameters has been published in Giovannoli et al. (2011), in the scientific journal A&A. With the HerMES project I could have access to Herschel data for these luminous galaxies and pursue my study to determine the importance of far infrared data to study high-redshift galaxies.determine the importance of far infrared data to study high-z galaxies.

Early-type galaxies (ETGs) are typically thought of as 'red and dead' with little to no star formation and old stellar populations. Their detailed kinematics measured locally suggest an interesting array of formation mechanisms and high-redshift observations are starting to reveal a two-phase evolutionary path for the most massive galaxies. In this thesis, I take a combined approach to studying the formation of ETGs. I look to distant quiescent galaxies in one of the densest regions of the early Universe and at the fossil record of a local galaxy to shed light on some of the unsolved mysteries of how ETGs evolved. Using the unique multiplexed instrument, the K-band Multi-Object Spectrograph (KMOS), the evolution of galaxies at both low and high redshift were studied as part of this thesis. I maximised the capabilities of this multi-integral field unit (IFU) near-infrared (NIR) instrument to study different aspects of ETG evolution. With 24 separate IFUs, many quiescent galaxies were efficiently observed in a massive high-redshift cluster as part of the KMOS Cluster Survey. Coupling KMOS spectroscopy with Hubble Space Telescope photometry, I studied the ages, kinematics, and structural properties of the galaxies. I then analysed the detailed properties of a massive local ETG with interesting kinematics, IC 1459. Coupling the NIR IFU data from KMOS with a large mosaic of optical data from the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer, I was able to study the spatially resolved kinematics, stellar populations, and initial mass function of the galaxy. The work presented in this thesis provides some interesting clues as to the formation of ETGs and possible diversity of their evolutionary paths.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / In this work, we investigated differences between stellar populations of galaxies that are part of a cluster with and without substructures. We used optical spectra obtained from Sloan Digital Sky Servey III DR10 for the galaxies of a sample of 1052 clusters selected from Wen et al. (2012) and Tempel et al. (2012) catalogues. For the Wen et al. (2012) catalog, we excluded interlopers by applying the method Shifting gapper to the coordinates and redshifts of all extended sources inside 5 Mpc of radial distance to the center of each system. In order to detect substructure and to estimate the velocity dispersion of individual structures, we used the LocKE algorithm. The individual systems inside clusters with substructure have been classified between primary and secondary, according to their mass dominance. We used the stellar populations synthesis program starlight from Cid Fernandes et al. (2005) to characterize the stellar populations of the galaxies in each structure, and we compared the average results obtained for different types of structure. Substructures have been found in 44% of our sample. The average masses of individual structures, estimated by virial analysis, is 4.5×1014M⊙. The mean stellar age and the mean metallicity obtained for the galaxies is 8.7 ± 2.0×109 years and Z=0.023 ± 0.009, respectively. The mean stellar age distribution for the clusters without substructure, and the primary and secondary structures, show some significant differences. Investigating the stellar populations according to the galaxy luminosity, we found that, in any type of structure, the mean stellar age grows with luminosity, while the fraction of galaxies with mean stellar age less than 6×109 years, decreases. For clusters without substructures, primary and secondary with less mass than 1014.5M⊙, the mean stellar age and luminosity do not show significant differences; however, in massive structures, the mean stellar age increases in the order secondary-primary-without substructure, while the fraction of galaxies with mean stellar age less than 6×109 years decreases. This result suggests that, although the main parameter that affects the stellar age of a galaxy is its mass, the environment also play a significant role, particularly in massive systems. / Neste trabalho, investigamos diferenças entre populações estelares de galáxias que fazem parte de aglomerados com e sem subestruturas. Para isso, utilizamos espectros óticos obtidos pelo Sloan Digital Sky Survey III DR10 para as galáxias de uma amostra de 1052 aglomerados oriundos dos catálogosWen et al. (2012) e Tempel et al. (2012). Para os aglomerados do catálogoWen et al. (2012), realizamos a exclusão de galáxias intrusas aplicando o método shifting gapper às coordenadas e redshifts de todas as fontes extensas a 5 Mpc de distância radial ao centro de cada sistema. Para detectar subestruturas e estimar a dispersão de velocidades das estruturas individuais, utilizamos o algoritmo LocKE. Os sistemas individuais de aglomerados com subestruturas foram separados entre estrutura primária e secundária, de acordo com sua dominância em massa. Utilizamos o programa de síntese de populações estelares Starlight de Cid Fernandes et al. (2005) para caracterizar as populações estelares das galáxias de cada estrutura, e comparamos os resultados médios obtidos entre os diferentes tipos de estrutura. Foram detectadas subestruturas em 44% de nossa amostra. O valor médio das massas das estruturas individuais, estimadas via análise virial, é de 4.5×1014M⊙. A idade estelar média e a metalicidade média obtidas para as galáxias da amostra são de 8.7 ± 2.0×109 anos e Z=0.023 ± 0.009 respectivamente. As distribuições de idade estelar média entre aglomerados desprovidos de subestrutura, e as estruturas primária e secundária, apresentam diferenças pouco significativas. Investigando as populações estelares em função da luminosidade das galáxias, encontramos que, em qualquer tipo de estrutura, a idade estelar média cresce com a luminosidade, enquanto que a fração de objetos com idade estelar média menor do que 6×109 anos diminui. Para aglomerados sem subestrutura, primários e secundários e com massa inferior a 1014.5 M⊙, a idade estelar média e a luminosidade não apresentam diferenças significativas; porém, em estruturas mais massivas, a idade estelar média aumenta no sentido secundária-primária-sem subestrutura, enquanto que a fração de galáxias com idade estelar média menor do que 6×109 anos diminui. Esse resultado sugere que, embora o principal parâmetro que afeta a idade estelar de uma galáxia seja sua massa, o ambiente também desempenha um papel significativo, em particular em sistemas mais massivos.

The Magellanic Clouds (MCs) consist of a pair of galaxies, the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), which are located at a distance of 50 kpc and 60 kpc, with stellar masses of 1010 M and 109 M , respectively. Morphologically they are categorized as irregular type galaxies. The MCs are gas rich and metal poor (Z=0.008 for LMC, and 0.004 for SMC) as compared to the Milky Way (MW), and have active star-forming regions. Their proximity and location at high galactic latitude enable us to resolve their individual populations as well as detect faint stellar populations. It is well known that the MCs are interacting with each other, as well as with the MW. The interaction is supported by the presence of the Magellanic Bridge and the Magellanic Stream. The evolved stellar populations in the MCs help us to understand their evolution and interaction process. The MCs host both Population I as well as Population II stars. This extended range of star formation is a valuable source of information to understand the formation and evolution of galaxies in general, and the MCs in particular. Evolved stellar popu-lation means the stars that have evolved o the main sequence and the giants, such as red giants (RGs), red clump stars, and asymptotic giant branch stars. There is a dominant population of evolved stars present in the MCs, in star clusters as well as in the eld. The aim of the thesis is to study the evolved stellar populations for one of the component of the MCs, the LMC. The study is primarily divided into two parts. (1) Study of sparse star clusters in the LMC: To increase our understanding of sparse star clusters in the LMC, with well estimated parameters, using deep Washington photometric data for 45 LMC clusters. (2) To estimate a metallicity map of LMC: In order to understand the metallicity variation across the galaxy. This is done by creating a high spatial resolution metallicity map of the LMC, using red giant branch (RGB) stars, with the help of photometric data and calibrated using spectroscopic studies of RGs in eld and star clusters. The introduction to the thesis study along with the aim are described in Chapter 1 of the thesis. The three sets of photometric data used for this study are described in Chapter 2. The data sets are: CT1 Washington photometric data for 45 star clusters within the LMC, the VI photometric data from the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment Phase-III survey (OGLE III), and the Magellanic Cloud Photometric Survey (MCPS). Study of sparse star clusters in the LMC: A systematic study is per-formed to analyse the 45 cluster candidates, to estimate their parameters (radius, reddening, and age) using the main-sequence turn-o (MSTO), as well as the evolved portion of the colour{magnitude diagram (CMD). The basic parameters were estimated for 33 genuine clusters, whereas the other 12 cluster candidates have been classi ed as possible clusters/asterisms. The study of 33 star clusters are presented in Chapter 3. These clus-ters are categorized as genuine star clusters based on their strong density enhancement and cluster features with respect to their surrounding eld regions. Out of the 33 clusters, 23 are identi ed as single clusters and 10 are found to be members of double clusters. Detailed discussions of all the individual clusters are presented. The estimated parameters for the single and double clusters are listed in two di erent tables. About 50% of the clusters are in the age range 100{300 Myr, the rest of them being older or younger. Comparison with previous age estimates shows some agreement as well as some deviation. The remaining 12 clusters which could not be categorized as genuine star clusters are studied in Chapter 4. These clusters have poor (/suspi-cious) density enhancement and cluster features when compared to their surrounding elds. It is important to study such cluster candidates, as these objects probe the lower limit of the cluster mass function. Detailed discussion on these individual objects are presented and their estimated parameters are tabulated in this chapter. A detailed discussion based on the study of all the 45 inconspicuous clusters is presented in this chapter, including the estimated sizes (radii 2{10 pc), reddening with respect to eld, and location in the LMC. The mass limit estimated for genuine clusters is found to be 1000 M , whereas for possible clusters/asterisms it is few 100 M , using synthetic CMDs. The study of sparse clusters enlarged the number of objects con rmed as genuine star clusters (33) and estimated their fundamental parameters. The study emphasizes that the sizes and masses of the studied sample are found to be similar to that of open clusters in the MW. Thus, this study adds to the lower end of cluster mass distribution in the LMC, suggesting that the LMC, apart from hosting rich clusters, also has formed small, less massive open clusters in the 100{300 Myr age range. The 12 cases of possible clusters/asterisms are worthy of attention, in the sense that they can throw light on the survival time of such objects in the LMC. Photometric metallicity map of the LMC using RGB stars: A metallic-ity map of the LMC is estimated using OGLE III and MCPS photometric data. This is a rst of its kind map of metallicity up to a radius of 4{5 de-grees, derived using photometric data and calibrated using spectroscopic data of RGB stars. The RGB is identi ed in the V, (V I) CMDs of small areal subregions of varying sizes in both data sets. The slope of the RGB is used as an indicator of the average metallicity of a subregion, and this RGB slope is calibrated to metallicity using spectroscopic data for eld and cluster RGs in selected subregions. The metallicity map estimated using OGLE III photometric data is presented in Chapter 5. A method to identify the RGB of small subre-gions within the LMC and estimate its slope by using a consistent and automated method was developed. The technique is robust and indepen-dent of reddening and extinction. The details of calibrating the RGB slopes to metallicities, using previous spectroscopic results of RGs in eld and star clusters are presented. The OGLE III metallicity maps are pre sented, based on four cut-o criteria to separate regions with good ts. The OGLE III map has substantial coverage of the bar, the eastern and western LMC, but does not cover the northern and southern regions. The OGLE III metallicity map shows the bar region to be metal rich whereas the eastern and western regions to be relatively metal poor. The mean metallicity is estimated for three di erent regions within the LMC. For the complete LMC the mean [Fe/H] is = 0.39 dex ( [Fe/H] = 0.10); for the bar region it is = 0.35 dex ( [Fe/H] = 0.9); and for the outer LMC it is = 0.46 dex ( [Fe/H] = 0.11). The metallicity histogram for these di erent regions are also estimated. A radial metallicity gradient is estimated in the de-projected plane of the LMC. The metallicity gradient is seen to remain almost constant in the bar region (till a radius of 2.5 kpc) and has a shallow gradient of 0.066 0.006 dex kpc 1 beyond that till 4 kpc. In Chapter 6 the metallicity map based on MCPS photometric data is estimated. The MCPS data covers more of the northern and south-ern LMC (less of eastern and western regions) and is important to be analysed in order to reveal the metallicity trend of the overall disk. The systematic di erences between the lter systems of MCPS and OGLE III are corrected, and the MCPS slopes are then calibrated using the OGLE III slope{metallicity relation. The MCPS metallicity maps are presented, based on four cut-o criteria to separate regions with good ts. The bar region is found to be metal rich as was found using OGLE III data, whereas the northern and southern regions are marginally metal poor. The mean metallicity estimated for the complete LMC is = 0.37 dex ( [Fe/H] = 0.12); and for the outer LMC it is = 0.41 dex ( [Fe/H] = 0.11). The metallicity histogram for these di erent regions are estimated and compared with the OGLE III distribution. The metallicity range of the complete LMC is found to be almost similar for both data sets. The metallicity distribution within the bar has a narrow range as found using both data sets. The slight di erence between mean metallicity of outer LMC for the two data sets is attributed to their coverage. We suggest that the northern and southern regions of the LMC could be marginally more metal rich than the eastern and western regions. The metallicity gradient of the LMC disk, estimated from MCPS data is found to be shallow 0.049 0.002 dex kpc 1 till about 4 kpc. We also constructed a metallicity map of outliers using both OGLE III and MCPS data, and identi ed subregions where the mean metallic-ity di ers from the surrounding areas. We suggest further spectroscopic studies in order to assess their physical significance. The detailed conclusion of the thesis and future work are presented in Chapter 7. From the study of sparse star clusters in the LMC, it is concluded that LMC has open cluster like star cluster systems. It is important to include them to understand the cluster formation history (CFH) and their survival time scale. Presently, our understanding of the CFH is dominated by rich clusters. The bar of the LMC is found to be the most metal rich region, and the LMC metallicity gradient though shallow, resembles the gradient seen in spiral galaxies. The gradient is also similar to that found in our Galaxy. The higher metallicity in the bar region might indicate an active bar in the past.