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The Role of Massive Stars in Galactic Chemical Evolution

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2007

Francesca Matteucci
Francesca Matteucci*
Affiliation:
Dipartimento di Astronomia, Osservatorio Astronomica di Trieste (INAF)Universita di Trieste, Via G.B. Tiepolo, 11 I-34124 Trieste, Italy email: [email protected]
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Abstract

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I will review the role of massive stars in galactic evolution both from the nucleosynthesis and energetics point of view. In particular, I will highlight some important observational facts explained by means of massive stars in galaxies of different morphological type: the Milky Way, ellipticals and dwarf spheroidals. I will describe first the time-delay model and its interpretation in terms of abundance ratios in galaxies, then I will discuss the importance of mass loss in massive stars to reproduce the data in the Galactic bulge and disk. I will discuss also how massive stars can be important producers of primary nitrogen if rotation in stellar models is taken into account. Concerning elliptical galaxies, I will show that to reproduce the observed [Mg/Fe] versus Mass relation in these galaxies it is necessary to assume a more important role of massive stars in more massive galaxies and that this can be achieved by means of downsizing in star formation. I will discuss how massive stars are responsible in triggering galactic winds both in ellipticals and dwarf spheroidals. These latter systems show a low overabundance of α-elements relative to Fe with respect to Galactic stars of the same [Fe/H]: this is interpreted as due to a slow star formation coupled with very efficient galactic winds. Finally, I will show a comparison between the predicted Type Ib/c rates in galaxies and the observed GRB rate and how we can impose constraints on the mechanism of galaxy formation by studying the GRB rate at high redshift.

Keywords

galaxies: evolution – stars: early-type
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 3 , Symposium S250: Massive Stars as Cosmic Engines , December 2007 , pp. 391 - 400
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2008

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