Model stars for the modelling of galaxies: $\alpha$-enhancement in stellar populations models

TL;DR

This paper discusses the use of theoretical stellar libraries, specifically model stars, to improve stellar population models by exploring the impact of $mbda$-enhancement on galaxy spectral features.

Contribution

It provides an overview of the advantages and limitations of theoretical libraries and demonstrates their application in modeling $mbda$-enhanced stellar populations.

Findings

Theoretical libraries offer valuable insights into stellar populations.

$mbda$-enhancement significantly affects spectral observables.

Model stars can effectively simulate $mbda$-enhanced populations.

Abstract

Stellar population (SP) models are an essential tool to understand the observations of galaxies and clusters. One of the main ingredients of a SP model is a library of stellar spectra, and both empirical and theoretical libraries can been used for this purpose. Here I will start by giving a short overview of the pros and cons of using theoretical libraries, i.e. model stars, to produce our galaxy models. Then I will address the question on how theoretical libraries can be used to model stellar populations, in particular to explore the effect of $\alpha$-enhancement on spectral observables.