Program: GN-2006B-Q-64

We propose to obtain high angular resolution L' and M' images of the central regions of M32. The L' data will be recorded with NIRI+ALTAIR, and will have an angular resolution of 0.1 arcsec, published AO images in the K-band indicate that at this resolution it will be possible to resolve the brightest stars to within a few arcsec of the nucleus. The M' observations will be recorded with NIRI, and will provide the first sub-arcsec angular resolution images of this galaxy at this wavelength. The data will be used to probe the IR characteristics of the most luminous AGB stars, which existing observations suggest have K-L colors and peak M_L brightnesses that are similar to the most luminous AGB stars in the Galactic disk. Such stars are consistent with M32 containing an intermediate age population, as predicted by the analysis of integrated spectra at visible wavelengths.