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arXiv 0811.3523astro-ph
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早型镓的碳、氮丰度

Carbon and Nitrogen Abundances in Early-type Galaxies

Elisa Toloba, Patricia Sanchez-Blazquez, Javier Gorgas, Brad K. Gibson

摘要:

对于第一次,我们进行了系统的检查的氮丰度的样本的35个早期类型的星系跨越范围的质量和本地环境。在3360 ° C的氮敏感的分子特征已被用于与一套原子和分子敏感的指数,以提供这些系统的化学含量的独特和明确的约束。通过使用NH3360,我们现在能够打破使用CN指数所固有的碳、氮和氧简并性。我们表明,NH3360功能显示对星系的速度色散(我们的代理质量)的依赖性很小,相反,所看到的碳和镁敏感指数。从表面上看,这些结果与以前使用对碳和氮都敏感的指标(如氰)得出的结论不一致。借助于恒星星族模型,我们发现这些星系中的N/Fe比与相对于太阳比的轻度增强是一致的。我们还探讨了这些发现对环境的依赖性,通过分析在现场和后发座星系团的共同添加的光谱。我们证实了先前发现的低密度和高密度环境中星系之间碳丰度的差异,同时表明这些差异似乎不存在氮。我们讨论了这些发现的影响,在早期类型的星系的恒星形成历史的推导,以及碳和氮的起源,本身。

英文摘要:

For the first time, we undertake a systematic examination of the nitrogen abundances for a sample of 35 early-type galaxies spanning a range of masses and local environment. The nitrogen-sensitive molecular feature at 3360Åhas been employed in conjunction with a suite of atomic- and molecular-sensitive indices to provide unique and definitive constraints on the chemical content of these systems. By employing NH3360, we are now able to break the carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen degeneracies inherent to the use of the CN-index. We demonstrate that the NH3360 feature shows little dependency upon the velocity dispersion (our proxy for mass) of the galaxies, contrary to what is seen for carbon- and magnesium-sensitive indices. At face value, these results are at odds with conclusions drawn previously using indices sensitive to both carbon and nitrogen, such as cyanogen (CN). With the aid of stellar population models, we find that the N/Fe ratios in these galaxies are consistent with being mildly-enhanced with respect to the solar ratio. We also explore the dependence of these findings upon environment, by analyzing the co-added spectra of galaxies in the field and the Coma cluster. We confirm the previously found differences in carbon abundances between galaxies in low- and high-density environments, while showing that these differences do not seem to exist for nitrogen. We discuss the implications of these findings for the derivation of the star formation histories in early-type galaxies, and for the origin of carbon and nitrogen, themselves.

机构、总结、中文摘要均由AI分析而来,可能存在错误,请以论文正文为准。

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