Predicted HST FOC and broad band colours for young and intermediate simple stellar populations

This paper presents theoretical HST and broad band colours from population synthesis models based on an homogeneous set of stellar evolutionary tracks as computed under canonical (no overshooting) assumptions, covering the range of cluster ages from t = 8 Myr to t = 5 Gyr for three different metallicities (Z = 0.02, 0.006, and 0.001). Statistical fluctuations in the cluster population have been investigated, assessing the predicted fluctuations of the various colours as a function of the cluster integrated absolute magnitude. We show that the red leak in HST UV filters deeply affects the predicted fluxes and colours. However, we find that for F152M - F307M less than or equal to 0.5 and for F170M - F278M less than or equal to 0.5 (which means ages lower than 1 Gyr) the HST UV colours can still be used to infer reliable indications on the age of distant clusters. Moreover, one finds that the age calibration of these colours is scarcely affected by the amount of original helium or by the assumed IMF. On this basis, we present a calibration of the HST UV two-colours (F152M - F307M vs. F170M - F278M) in terms of cluster ages for the three above quoted metallicities. We suggest the combined use of HST UV colours and IR colours (V - K in particular) to disentangle the metallicity-age effect in integrated colours of young stellar populations (t less than or equal to 1 Gyr).