The star formation history of the Large Magellanic Cloud

Using WFPC2 on board the Hubble Space Telescope, we have created deep color-magnitude diagrams in the V and I passbands for approximately 10(5) stars in a field at the center of the LMC bar and another in the disk. The main-sequence luminosity functions (LFs) from 19 less than or equal to V less than or equal to 23.5, the red clump and horizontal branch morphologies, and the differential Hess diagram of the two fields all strongly imply that the disk and bar have significantly different star formation histories (SFHs). The disk's SFH has been relatively smooth and continuous over the last similar to15 Gyr, while the bar's SFH was dominated by star formation episodes at intermediate ages. Comparison of the LF against predictions based on Padova theoretical stellar evolution models and an assumed age-metallicity relationship allows us to identify the dominant stellar populations in the bar with episodes of star formation that occurred from 4 to 6 and 1 to 2 Gyr ago. These events accounted for similar to25% and similar to15%, respectively, of its stellar mass. The disk field may share a mild enhancement in SF for the younger episode, and thus we identify the 4 to 6 Gyr episode with the formation of the LMC bar.