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arXiv 1001.4374astro-ph.CO
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质量-金属丰度关系的起源:一种分析方法

The Origin of the Mass-Metallicity relation: an analytical approach

E. Spitoni, F. Calura, F. Matteucci, S. Recchi

摘要:

最近,在所有红移的恒星形成星系中,质量-金属丰度(MZ)关系的存在已被确立。我们的目的是研究一些可能的物理机制,有助于MZ关系,通过采用化学演化模型,包括流入和流出的解析解。我们探讨了一个变量的星系风率,每恒星一代(即在IMF的变化),作为可能的原因MZ关系的假设。通过分析模型,我们计算了预期的O丰度的星系的重子总质量和气体质量。恒星的质量是由观测和气体质量是由反肯尼库特定律的恒星形成,一旦恒星形成率是已知的。然后,我们测试如何描述的流出,流入和IMF的参数应该发生变化,以重现MZ关系,我们排除的情况下,这种变化导致不切实际的情况。我们发现,一个星系风率增加,减少星系质量或变量IMF都是可行的解决方案MZ关系。而可变的下降速率是不可接受的。仅考虑MZ关系很难将外流解和IMF解区分开来,应考虑其他观测约束来选择具体的解。例如,恒星形成效率随星系质量的增加而变化也可以重现MZ关系,并解释椭圆星系中恒星形成的缩小。最好的解决方案可能是恒星形成的可变效率加上星系风,这确实是在低质量星系中观察到的。

英文摘要:

The existence of a mass-metallicity (MZ) relation in star forming galaxies at all redshift has been recently established. We aim at studying some possible physical mechanisms contributing to the MZ relation by adopting analytical solutions of chemical evolution models including infall and outflow. We explore the hypotheses of a variable galactic wind rate, infall rate and yield per stellar generation (i.e. a variation in the IMF), as possible causes for the MZ relation. By means of analytical models we compute the expected O abundance for galaxies of a given total baryonic mass and gas mass.The stellar mass is derived observationally and the gas mass is derived by inverting the Kennicutt law of star formation, once the star formation rate is known. Then we test how the parameters describing the outflow, infall and IMF should vary to reproduce the MZ relation, and we exclude the cases where such a variation leads to unrealistic situations. We find that a galactic wind rate increasing with decreasing galactic mass or a variable IMF are both viable solutions for the MZ relation. A variable infall rate instead is not acceptable. It is difficult to disentangle among the outflow and IMF solutions only by considering the MZ relation, and other observational constraints should be taken into account to select a specific solution. For example, a variable efficiency of star formation increasing with galactic mass can also reproduce the MZ relation and explain the downsizing in star formation suggested for ellipticals. The best solution could be a variable efficiency of star formation coupled with galactic winds, which are indeed observed in low mass galaxies.

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