Extragalactic Globular Cluster Systems - Probes of Galaxy Assembly
Thomas H. Puzia^1
1 Space Telescope Science Institute
The assembly history of galaxies is best studied through measurements of the physical properties (e.g. kinematics, ages, chemical compositions) of their constituent stellar populations. Globular cluster systems have proven to be excellent tracers of galaxy formation and evolution. Even global properties of the major structural components of nearby galaxies are clearly reflected in their associated star cluster systems. Currently, photometric studies of extragalactic globular cluster systems are limited to  100 Mpc, while today's spectrographs on 8-10m class telescopes reach their limit at  10-20 Mpc for typical globular cluster luminosities. In this contribution, I will briefly summarize the present status of extragalactic globular cluster research and discuss how future data from 30+m-class telescopes could significantly expand our understanding of star and globular cluster formation in particular, and galaxy formation and evolution in general.

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