Minniti, D.Fernández Trincado, Jose GregorioGómez, MatíasAlonso García, JavierRipepi, VincenzoGarro, Elisa RitaFacultad de Ciencias Exactas2024-10-102024-10-102023https://repositorio.unab.cl/handle/ria/61214Tesis (Doctora en Astrofísica)The VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea Survey (VVV) and its Extension (VVVX) allow us to probe ´ previously unexplored regions of the inner Milky Way (MW), especially those that are affected by stellar crowding and strong extinction. My long-term goal is to identify new star clusters and investigate them to reveal their true nature. In particular, I am looking for new candidate globular clusters (GCs) located in the Galactic bulge and disk, with the aim of completing the census of the MW GC system. I searched and characterized new star clusters, using a combination of the near-infrared (IR) VVV-VVVX survey and Two Micron All Sky survey (2MASS) datasets, and the optical Gaia Data Releases (DR2, EDR3 and DR3) photometry and its precise astrometry and proper motions (PMs). Performing a PM-decontamination procedure, I built final catalogues with high-likely cluster members, on which I carried out a detailed photometric analysis. I estimated the main physical parameters, such as reddenings and extinction, heliocentric and Galactocentric distances, mean cluster PMs, metallicities, ages, integrated luminosities, and structural parameters (core and tidal radii). I analysed 34 new GC candidates in the MW and 21 in the Sagittarius dwarf galaxies, confirming (photometrically) the GC nature for 17 of them, and 4 are old open clusters in the MW bulge and disk, whereas other 17 GCs belonging to the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy. Finally, for 11 bound systems, I collected radial velocity informations (from H-/K-band spectra and/or Gaia DR3 datasets) in order to reconstruct their orbital history for the first time, thus associating these clusters to the relative Galactic components and understand their (in-situ or ex-situ) origin.esGalaxias CúmulosEstrellasCúmulos GlobularesGalaxiasFormaciónTesis