Dr. Arunav Kundu
Michigan State University

University of Florida Astronomy Colloquium - Oct. 24th, 2007

Galaxy Archaeology with Globular Cluster Systems

The simple stellar systems of globular clusters provide a unique insight into the ages and metallicities of their constituent stars. The globular cluster system of a galaxy can thus constrain the major star formation episodes of their hosts, and hence the galaxy formation process. The discovery of peaks in the metallicity distribution of clusters has provided some of the most powerful evidence to date that galaxy formation is episodic. I will discuss the many correlations between the properties of cluster systems and their host galaxies (and some surprising lack of correlations) and the implications on their formation histories. In particular I'll address the question of the uniformity of the properties of the 'primordial' metal poor globular clusters, which are among the oldest stellar systems in the Universe.