We present new deep color-magnitude diagrams (CMD) at two galactocentric distances, and Ca II triplet spectroscopy, of the Local Group dSph galaxy Fornax, obtained with the VLT and FORS1. These data are being used to reliably derive the star formation and chemical enrichment histories of this galaxy, and preliminary results are presented here: we

We demonstrate a strong correlation between supermassive black hole (SMBH) mass and the global structure of ellipticals and bulges: more centrally concentrated bulges and ellipticals (higher Sérsic index n) host higher-mass black holes. This correlation is as good as that previously found between SMBH mass and central velocity dispersion, with

Lipid bilayers are key components of biomembranes; they are self-assembled two-dimensional structures, primarily serving as barriers to the leakage of cell's contents. Lipid bilayers are typically charged in aqueous solution and may electrostatically interact with each other and with their environment. In this work, we investigate electrostatics of

DQ white dwarfs have Teff values below 13000 K and are characterized by the presence of trace amounts of carbon in their helium-rich atmospheres. The wide range of surface carbon abundances they exhibit could be reflecting the existence of hydrogen-deficient white dwarfs with a variety of evolutionary history and formation processes. The aim of

Abundances of oxygen in two ultra-metal-poor giants have been derived from measurements of the oxygen triplet at 7771-5Å in the near-IR performed in high-resolution and high S/N ratio spectra obtained with KeckI/HIRES. A detailed non-LTE analysis of Fe lines has been carried out for our targets providing more reliable stellar parameters and

The Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) is collecting photometry and intermediate resolution spectra for ˜105 stars in the thick-disk and stellar halo of the Milky Way. This massive dataset can be used to infer the properties of the stars that make up these structures, and considerably deepen our vision of the old components of the Galaxy. We devise