Raven and the Center of Maffei 1: Multi-Object Adaptive Optics
  Observations of the Center of a Nearby Elliptical Galaxy and the Detection of
  an Intermediate Age Population
  Near-infrared (NIR) spectra that have an angular resolution of ~ 0.15 arcsec
are used to examine the stellar content of the central regions of the nearby
elliptical galaxy Maffei 1. The spectra were recorded at the Subaru Telescope,
with wavefront distortions corrected by the RAVEN Multi-Object Adaptive Optics
science demonstrator. The Ballick-Ramsey C_2 absorption bandhead near 1.76
microns is detected, and models in which 10 - 20% of the light near 1.8 microns
originates from stars of spectral type C5 reproduce this feature. Archival NIR
and mid-infrared images are also used to probe the structural and photometric
properties of the galaxy. Comparisons with models suggest that an intermediate
age population dominates the spectral energy distribution between 1 and 5
microns near the galaxy center. This is consistent not only with the presence
of C stars, but also with the large HBeta index that has been measured
previously for Maffei 1. The J-K color is more-or-less constant within 15
arcsec of the galaxy center, suggesting that the brightest red stars are
well-mixed in this area.
