Stellar populations in the Galactic Bulge (review)

TL;DR

This review summarizes recent advances in understanding the stellar populations of the Galactic Bulge, highlighting new survey data and the potential insights from Gaia to unravel its formation history.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of current knowledge and discusses how upcoming Gaia data will enhance understanding of the bulge's complex structures and origins.

Findings

Large surveys are mapping the bulge's complex structures.

New data links bulge populations with inner disc and halo.

Anticipated Gaia data will clarify formation history.

Abstract

Until recently our knowledge of the Galactic Bulge stellar populations was based on the study of a few low extinction windows. Large photometric and spectroscopic surveys are now underway to map large areas of the bulge. They probe several complex structures which are still to be fully characterized as well as their links with the inner disc, the thick disc and the inner halo. I will review our current, rapidly increasing, knowledge of the bulge stellar populations and the new insight expected towards the Gaia era to disentangle the formation history of the Galactic inner regions.