ELT imaging and photometry in crowded fields

The capability of extremely large telescopes (ELTs) to resolve stellar populations in distant galaxies has been investigated through simulation. With real stellar clusters as templates, images were created using a realistic point spread function model. Through variation of parameters such as aperture, Strehl ratio and exposure, as well as use of various stellar populations and densities, we study ELT capability to probe galaxy formation and evolution history. We conclude that a 50m ELT should allow study of these processes in the Virgo galaxy cluster.