This project will carry out a comprehensive program to measure radial trends in the mean age and chemical composition of the stellar populations in early-type galaxies. These gradients, combined with previously determined ages and metallicities, will supply a fundamental observational database for the star formation histories of present-epoch early-type galaxies. This information can then be compared with rapidly developing numerical models for the evolution of galaxies, so that this program will have broad implications for the evolution of structure in the universe
The research team will be working intensively with early career undergraduate students during the summers, and the large database of stellar spectra will be widely distributed for use in population synthesis work. It should have a significant impact on the broader community, and serve a useful function as an educational tool.
