Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 January 2006
Atomic diffusion has been suggested to play a significant role in a large variety of CP stars to reproduce observations. In this paper I will briefly present the physics included in the self-consistent models that include atomic diffusion and radiative accelerations. I will discuss their effect on the evolution and on the internal structure of Pop I and Pop II stars, as well as the effect on the predicted surface abundances. I will also present the effect on cluster age determination.