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Article Contents

ABSTRACT

1.INTRODUCTION

2.OVERVIEW OF STELLAR POPULATION SYNTHESIS

2.1.The Simple Stellar Population

2.2.Dust

2.3.Composite Stellar Populations

2.4.Nebular Emission

2.5.Fitting Models to Data

3.MASS-TO-LIGHT RATIOS & STELLAR MASSES

3.1.Techniques & Uncertainties

3.2.Uncertainties in M / L due to Stellar Evolution Uncertainties

3.3.Stellar Masses at High Redshift

3.4.Summary

4.STAR FORMATION RATES, HISTORIES, & STELLAR AGES

4.1.Measuring SFRs

4.2.Light-Weighted Mean Ages

4.3.Which Model SFHs to Use?

4.4.Non-Parametric Star Formation Histories

4.5.Low-Level Star Formation

4.6.Summary

5.STELLAR METALLICITIES & ABUNDANCE PATTERNS

5.1.The Age-Metallicity Degeneracy

5.2.Photometric Metallicities

5.3.Spectroscopic Metallicities

5.4.Abundance Patterns

5.5.The Low-Metallicity Tail

5.6.Summary

6.DUST

6.1.Total Dust Attenuation

6.2.Constraints on the Attenuation Curve

6.3.Physical Dust Properties

6.4.Cosmic Evolution of IR SEDs

6.5.Summary

7.THE INITIAL MASS FUNCTION

7.1.Summary

CONCLUDING REMARKS

REFERENCES