2001ApJ...552L.113T -
Astrophys. J., 552, L113-L116 (2001/May-2)
Mass-metallicity relation for the Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxies: a new picture for the chemical enrichment of galaxies in the lowest mass range.
TAMURA N., HIRASHITA H. and TAKEUCHI T.T.
Abstract (from CDS):
The virial mass (Mvir)-metallicity relation among the Local Group dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies is examined. Hirashita, Takeuchi, & Tamura showed that the dSph galaxies can be divided into two distinct classes with respect to the relation between their virial masses and luminosities: low-mass (Mvir≲108 M☉) and high-mass (Mvir≳108 M☉) groups. We see that both the mass-metallicity and mass-luminosity relations of the high-mass dSph galaxies are understood as a low-mass extension of giant elliptical galaxies. On the contrary, we find that the classical galactic wind model is problematic when applied to the low-mass dSph galaxies, whose low binding energy is comparable to that released by several supernova explosions. A strongly regulated star formation in their formation phase is required to reproduce their observed metallicity. Such regulation is naturally expected in a gas cloud with the primordial elemental abundance according to Nishi & Tashiro. A significant scatter in the mass-metallicity relation for the low-mass dSph galaxies is also successfully explained along with the scenario of Hirashita and coworkers. We not only propose a new picture for a chemical enrichment of the dSph galaxies but also suggest that the mass-metallicity and mass-luminosity relations be understood in a consistent context.
Abstract Copyright:
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Journal keyword(s):
Galaxies: Dwarf - Galaxies: Evolution - Galaxies: Formation - Galaxies: Fundamental Parameters - Galaxies: Local Group
Simbad objects:
12
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