Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- Part I Abundances in the Galaxy: field stars
- Part II Abundances in the Galaxy: Galactic stars in clusters, bulges and the centre
- Part III Observations – abundances in extragalactic contexts
- 16 Stellar abundances of early-type galaxies
- 17 Measuring chemical abundances in extragalactic metal-rich H ii regions
- 18 On the maximum oxygen abundance in metal-rich spiral galaxies
- 19 Starbursts and their contribution to metal enrichment
- 20 High metallicities at high redshifts
- 21 Evolution of dust and elemental abundances in quasar DLAs and GRB afterglows as a function of cosmic time
- 22 Dust, metals and diffuse interstellar bands in damped Lyman-alpha systems
- 23 Tracing metallicities in the Universe with the James Webb Space Telescope
- Part IV Stellar populations and mass functions
- Part V Physical processes at high metallicity
- Part VI Formation and evolution of metal-rich stars and stellar yields
- Part VII Chemical and photometric evolution beyond Solar metallicity
16 - Stellar abundances of early-type galaxies
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 December 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Preface
- Part I Abundances in the Galaxy: field stars
- Part II Abundances in the Galaxy: Galactic stars in clusters, bulges and the centre
- Part III Observations – abundances in extragalactic contexts
- 16 Stellar abundances of early-type galaxies
- 17 Measuring chemical abundances in extragalactic metal-rich H ii regions
- 18 On the maximum oxygen abundance in metal-rich spiral galaxies
- 19 Starbursts and their contribution to metal enrichment
- 20 High metallicities at high redshifts
- 21 Evolution of dust and elemental abundances in quasar DLAs and GRB afterglows as a function of cosmic time
- 22 Dust, metals and diffuse interstellar bands in damped Lyman-alpha systems
- 23 Tracing metallicities in the Universe with the James Webb Space Telescope
- Part IV Stellar populations and mass functions
- Part V Physical processes at high metallicity
- Part VI Formation and evolution of metal-rich stars and stellar yields
- Part VII Chemical and photometric evolution beyond Solar metallicity
Summary
It is currently impossible to determine the abundances of the stellar populations star by star in dense stellar systems more distant than a few megaparsecs. Therefore, methods to analyse the composite light of stellar systems are required. I review recent progress in determining the abundances and abundance ratios of early-type galaxies. I begin with ‘direct’ abundance measurements: colour–magnitude diagrams of stars and planetary nebulae in nearby early-type galaxies. I then give an overview of ‘indirect’ abundance measurements: inferences from stellar-population models, with an emphasis on cross-checks with ‘direct’ methods. I consider the variations of early-type galaxy abundances as a function of mass, age and environment in the local Universe. I conclude with a list of continuing difficulties in the modelling that complicate the interpretation of integrated spectra and I look ahead to new methods and new observations.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Metal-Rich Universe , pp. 141 - 154Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2008