Involved people at OAB: Ferraro, Origlia.
A wide photometric data--set in the optical and near infrared of a sample of intermediate--age LMC clusters has been assembled [in collaboration with V. Testa (OA Roma) and C. Maraston (Monaco)]. These clusters are the ideal templates for studying the evolution of stellar populations in galaxies, with a crucial impact on cosmology.
This data--set would allow (1) to empirically calibrate the epoch of the so--called AGB and RGB phase--transitions predicted by the models and (2) to obtain the first quantitative empirical estimate of the AGB and RGB contribution to the total light of a simple stellar population (SSP) with varying its age.
These results will be of fundamental importance for the correct interpretation of integrated colors of high--redshift galaxies.