skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: CHEMICAL ABUNDANCE PATTERNS AND THE EARLY ENVIRONMENT OF DWARF GALAXIES

Abstract

Recent observations suggest that abundance pattern differences exist between low metallicity stars in the Milky Way stellar halo and those in the dwarf satellite galaxies. This paper takes a first look at what role the early environment for pre-galactic star formation might have played in shaping these stellar populations. In particular, we consider whether differences in cross-pollution between the progenitors of the stellar halo and the satellites could help to explain the differences in abundance patterns. Using an N-body simulation, we find that the progenitor halos of the main halo are primarily clustered together at z = 10 while the progenitors of the satellite galaxies remain on the outskirts of this cluster. Next, analytically modeled supernova-driven winds show that main halo progenitors cross-pollute each other more effectively while satellite galaxy progenitors remain more isolated. Thus, inhomogeneous cross-pollution as a result of different high-z spatial locations of each system's progenitors can help to explain observed differences in abundance patterns today. Conversely, these differences are a signature of the inhomogeneity of metal enrichment at early times.

Authors:
; ;  [1];  [2]
  1. Department of Astronomy, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 (United States)
  2. Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22131007
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 773; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ABUNDANCE; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; DWARF STARS; GALACTIC EVOLUTION; MANY-BODY PROBLEM; MILKY WAY; SATELLITES; STELLAR WINDS; SUPERNOVAE

Citation Formats

Corlies, Lauren, Johnston, Kathryn V., Bryan, Greg, and Tumlinson, Jason. CHEMICAL ABUNDANCE PATTERNS AND THE EARLY ENVIRONMENT OF DWARF GALAXIES. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/773/2/105.
Corlies, Lauren, Johnston, Kathryn V., Bryan, Greg, & Tumlinson, Jason. CHEMICAL ABUNDANCE PATTERNS AND THE EARLY ENVIRONMENT OF DWARF GALAXIES. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/773/2/105
Corlies, Lauren, Johnston, Kathryn V., Bryan, Greg, and Tumlinson, Jason. 2013. "CHEMICAL ABUNDANCE PATTERNS AND THE EARLY ENVIRONMENT OF DWARF GALAXIES". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/773/2/105.
@article{osti_22131007,
title = {CHEMICAL ABUNDANCE PATTERNS AND THE EARLY ENVIRONMENT OF DWARF GALAXIES},
author = {Corlies, Lauren and Johnston, Kathryn V. and Bryan, Greg and Tumlinson, Jason},
abstractNote = {Recent observations suggest that abundance pattern differences exist between low metallicity stars in the Milky Way stellar halo and those in the dwarf satellite galaxies. This paper takes a first look at what role the early environment for pre-galactic star formation might have played in shaping these stellar populations. In particular, we consider whether differences in cross-pollution between the progenitors of the stellar halo and the satellites could help to explain the differences in abundance patterns. Using an N-body simulation, we find that the progenitor halos of the main halo are primarily clustered together at z = 10 while the progenitors of the satellite galaxies remain on the outskirts of this cluster. Next, analytically modeled supernova-driven winds show that main halo progenitors cross-pollute each other more effectively while satellite galaxy progenitors remain more isolated. Thus, inhomogeneous cross-pollution as a result of different high-z spatial locations of each system's progenitors can help to explain observed differences in abundance patterns today. Conversely, these differences are a signature of the inhomogeneity of metal enrichment at early times.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/773/2/105},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22131007}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 2,
volume = 773,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Aug 20 00:00:00 EDT 2013},
month = {Tue Aug 20 00:00:00 EDT 2013}
}