[138.10] On the Age Estimation of Disk Galaxies Using Optical and Near-Infrared Photometry

AAS 207th Meeting, 8-12 January 2006
Session 138 Galaxy Interactions and Star Formation
Poster, Wednesday, 9:20am-6:30pm, January 11, 2006, Exhibit Hall

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[138.10] On the Age Estimation of Disk Galaxies Using Optical and Near-Infrared Photometry

H.-c. Lee, G. Worthey (Washington State University), S.C. Trager (Kapteyn Institute), S.M. Faber (UC Santa Cruz)

We have investigated the robustness of stellar population models at ages from 100 Myr to 1-2 Gyr. The dominant uncertainties arise from (1) convective core overshooting and (2) the numbers and temperatures of thermally pulsing asymptotic giant branch stars. We compare the most recently available model outputs from several different groups and find that the degree of uncertainties is non-negligible, a factor of 2 to 4 in age. Recent studies of stellar populations of spiral galaxies may need to be reassessed.

Support for this work was provided by the NSF # 0307487.

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