Dwarf galaxies beyond our doorstep: the Centaurus A group
  The study of dwarf galaxies in groups is a powerful tool for investigating
galaxy evolution, chemical enrichment and environmental effects on these
objects. Here we present results obtained for dwarf galaxies in the Centaurus A
complex, a dense nearby (~4 Mpc) group that contains two giant galaxies and
about 30 dwarf companions of different morphologies and stellar contents. We
use archival optical (HST/ACS) and near-infrared (VLT/ISAAC) data to derive
physical properties and evolutionary histories from the resolved stellar
populations of these dwarf galaxies. In particular, for early-type dwarfs we
are able to construct metallicity distribution functions, find population
gradients and quantify the intermediate-age star formation episodes. For
late-type dwarfs, we compute recent (~1 Gyr) star formation histories and study
their stellar distribution. We then compare these results with properties of
the dwarfs in our Milky Way and in other groups. Our work will ultimately lead
to a better understanding of the evolution of dwarf galaxies.
