No Arabic abstract
We study the enrichment histories for nine elements, C, four alpha-elements of Mg, Si, Ca, and Ti, Sc, and three iron-peak elements of Co, Ni, and Zn, by using a large number of stellar data, collected by the Stellar Abundances for Galactic Archaeology (SAGA) database. We find statistically significant changes, or breaks, of the mean abundance ratios to iron at three metallicities of [Fe/H]-1.8, -2.2, and -3.3. Across the first one, the mean abundance ratios decrease with the metallicity by similar extents for all the elements with the sufficient data. Across the latter two, downward trends with the metallicity are also detected but for limited elements, C, Co, Zn, and possibly Sc, and for two of Co and Zn, respectively. The breaks define four stellar populations with the different abundance patters which are dominant in each metallicity range divided by the breaks, Pop IIa, IIb, IIc, and IId in order of increasing metallicity. We also explore their spatial distributions with the spectroscopic distances to demonstrate that Pops IIa and IIb spread over the Galactic halo while Pops IIc and IId are observed near the Galactic plane. In particular, Pop IIc stars emerge around [Fe/H] -2.6 and coexist with Pop IIb stars, segregated by the spatial distributions. Our results reveal two distinct modes of star formation during the early stages of Galaxy formation, which are associated with the variations of IMF and the spatial distribution of remnant low-mass stars. For the two lower-metallicity populations, the enhancements of Zn and Co indicate a high-mass and top-heavy IMF together with the statistics on the carbon-enhanced stars. We discuss the relevance to the kinematically resolved structures of the Galactic halo and the possible sites of these populations within the framework of hierarchical structure formation scenario.
A tutorial for the Stellar Abundances for Galactic Archaeology (SAGA) database is presented. This paper describes the outline of the database, reports the current status of the data compilation and known problems, and presents plans for future updates and extensions.
We discuss the characteristics of known extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars in the Galaxy using the Stellar Abundances for Galactic Archaeology (SAGA) database (Suda et al. 2008, PASJ, 60, 1159).The analyses of carbon-enhanced stars in our sample suggest that the nucleosynthesis in AGB stars can contribute to the carbon enrichment in a different way depending on whether the metallicity is above or below [Fe/H] ~ -2.5, which is consistent with the current models of stellar evolution at low metallicity. We find the transition of the initial mass function at [Fe/H] ~ -2 in the viewpoint of the distribution of carbon abundance and the frequency of carbon-enhanced stars. For observed EMP stars, we confirmed that some, not all, of observed stars might have undergone at least two types of extra mixing to change their surface abundances. One is to deplete the lithium abundance during the early phase of red giant branch. Another is to decrease the C/N ratio by one order of magnitude during the red giant branch phase. Observed small scatters of abundances for alpha-elements and iron-group elements suggest that the chemical enrichment of our Galaxy takes place in a well-mixed interstellar medium. We find that the abundance trends of alpha-elements are highly correlated with each other, while the abundances of iron-group elements are subject to different slopes relative to the iron abundance. This implies that the supernova yields of alpha-elements are almost independent of mass and metallicity, while those of iron-group elements have a metallicity dependence or mass dependence with the variable initial mass function.The occurrence of the hot bottom burning in the mass range of 5 <~ M / Msun <~ 6 is consistent with the initial mass function of the Galaxy peaked at ~ 10 - 12 Msun to be compatible with the statistics of carbon enhanced stars with and without s-process element (truncated)
We have constructed the database of stars in the local group using the extended version of the SAGA (Stellar Abundances for Galactic Archaeology) database that contains stars in 24 dwarf spheroidal galaxies and ultra faint dwarfs. The new version of the database includes more than 4500 stars in the Milky Way, by removing the previous metallicity criterion of [Fe/H] <= -2.5, and more than 6000 stars in the local group galaxies. We examined a validity of using a combined data set for elemental abundances. We also checked a consistency between the derived distances to individual stars and those to galaxies in the literature values. Using the updated database, the characteristics of stars in dwarf galaxies are discussed. Our statistical analyses of alpha-element abundances show that the change of the slope of the [alpha/Fe] relative to [Fe/H] (so-called knee) occurs at [Fe/H] = -1.0+-0.1 for the Milky Way. The knee positions for selected galaxies are derived by applying the same method. Star formation history of individual galaxies are explored using the slope of the cumulative metallicity distribution function. Radial gradients along the four directions are inspected in six galaxies where we find no direction dependence of metallicity gradients along the major and minor axes. The compilation of all the available data shows a lack of CEMP-s population in dwarf galaxies, while there may be some CEMP-no stars at [Fe/H] <~ -3 even in the very small sample. The inspection of the relationship between Eu and Ba abundances confirms an anomalously Ba-rich population in Fornax, which indicates a pre-enrichment of interstellar gas with r-process elements. We do not find any evidence of anti-correlations in O-Na and Mg-Al abundances, which characterises the abundance trends in the Galactic globular clusters.
Precise stellar ages from asteroseismology have become available and can help setting stronger constraints on the evolution of the Galactic disc components. Recently, asteroseismology has confirmed a clear age difference in the solar annulus between two distinct sequences in the [$alpha$/Fe] versus [Fe/H] abundance ratios relation: the high-$alpha$ and low-$alpha$ stellar populations. We aim at reproducing these new data with chemical evolution models including different assumptions for the history and number of accretion events. We tested two different approaches: a revised version of the `two-infall model where the high-$alpha$ phase forms by a fast gas accretion episode and the low-$alpha$ sequence follows later from a slower gas infall rate, and the parallel formation scenario where the two disc sequences form coevally and independently. The revised `two-infall model including uncertainties in age and metallicity is capable of reproducing: i) the [$alpha$/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] abundance relation at different Galactic epochs, ii) the age$-$metallicity relation and the time evolution [$alpha$/Fe]; iii) the age distribution of the high-$alpha$ and low-$alpha$ stellar populations, iv) the metallicity distribution function. The parallel approach is not capable of properly reproduce the stellar age distribution, in particular at old ages. In conclusion, the best chemical evolution model is the revised `two-infall one, where a consistent delay of $sim$4.3 Gyr in the beginning of the second gas accretion episode is a crucial assumption to reproduce stellar abundances and ages.
A series of population models are designed to explore the star formation history of gas-rich, low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies. LSB galaxies are unique in having properties of very blue colors, low H$alpha$ emission and high gas fractions that indicated a history of constant star formation (versus the declining star formation models used for most spirals and irregulars). The model simulations use an evolving multi-metallicity composite population that follows a chemical enrichment scheme based on Milky Way observations. Color and time sensitive stellar evolution components (i.e., BHB, TP-AGB and blue straggler stars) are included, and model colors are extended into the Spitzer wavelength regions for comparison to new observations. In general, LSB galaxies are well matched to the constant star formation scenario with the variation in color explained by a fourfold increase/decrease in star formation over the last 0.5 Gyrs (i.e., weak bursts). Early-type spirals, from the S$^4$G sample, are better fit by a declining star formation model where star formation has decreased by 40% in the last 12 Gyrs.