Chemical evolution of elliptical galaxies

Regardless of the details concerning self-enrichment and winds, the existence of isolated star formation bursts will also affect the iron-oxygen and iron-a relations, introducing scatter in Fe/O and possibly gaps in the iron abundance distribution function. When the interval between successive bursts exceeds the evolution time for SN la (maybe about 1 Gyr), iron will build up in the ISM resulting in an enhanced Fe/O ratio in the second burst so that one can end up with [Fe/O] 0 (Gilmore Wyse 1991) see Fig. 8.7. 

The evolution of dwarf galaxies is discussed further in Section 11.3.3. 

3 Chemical evolution of elliptical galaxies 11.3.1 Data sources 

Parameters of dynamically hot galaxies , i.e. various classes of ellipticals and the bulges of spirals, generally lie close to a Fundamental Plane in the 3-dimensional space of central velocity dispersion, effective surface brightness and effective radius or equivalent parameter combinations (Fig. 11.10). This is explained by a combination of three factors the Virial Theorem, some approximation to 

Colour and line-strength gradients are also observed across elliptical galaxies, as is to be expected from dissipative effects (see Appendix 5). However, the detailed 

---

Detailed numerical models for the photometric and chemical evolution of elliptical galaxies have been computed by Yoshii and Arimoto (1987), Matteucci and Tomambe (1987), Brocato et al. (1990) and Matteucci (1992,1994). These are terminal wind models similar in their basic assumptions to that of Larson (1974b), but with differing assumptions as to IMFs and scaling laws that specify how the... 

Renzini, A., Ciotti, L. Pellegrini, S. 1993, in I. J. Danziger, W. W. Zeilinger K.Kjar (eds.), ESO Conference Workshop Proc. no. 45 Structure, Dynamics and Chemical Evolution of Elliptical Galaxies, Garching ESO, p. 443. 

In these lectures I present a highly opinionated review of the observed patterns of metallicity and element abundance ratios in nearby spiral, irregular, and dwarf elliptical galaxies, with connection to a number of astrophysical issues associated with chemical evolution. I also discuss some of the observational and theoretical issues associated with measuring abundances in H II regions and gas and stellar surface densities in disk galaxies. Finally, I will outline a few open questions that deserve attention in future investigations. 

---