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Complexity in small-scale dwarf spheroidal galaxies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2010

Andreas Koch ,
Daniel Adén ,
Eva K. Grebel  and
Sofia Feltzing
Andreas Koch
Affiliation:
University of Leicester, University Road, LE1 7RH Leicester, UK email: [email protected]
Daniel Adén
Affiliation:
Lund Observatory, Box 43, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
Eva K. Grebel
Affiliation:
Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, Mönchhofstrasse 12-14, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Sofia Feltzing
Affiliation:
Lund Observatory, Box 43, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden
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Abstract

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Our knowledge about the chemical evolution of the more luminous dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies is constantly growing. However, little is known about the enrichment of the ultrafaint systems recently discovered in large numbers in large Sky Surveys. Low-resolution spectroscopy and photometric data indicate that these galaxies are predominantly metal-poor. On the other hand, the most recent high-resolution abundance analyses indicate that some of these galaxies experienced highly inhomogenous chemical enrichment, where star formation proceeds locally on the smallest scales. Furthermore, these galaxy-contenders appear to contain very metal-poor stars with [Fe/H]< −3 dex and could be the sites of the first stars. Here, we consider the presently available chemical abundance information of the (ultra-) faint Milky Way satellite dSphs. In this context, some of the most peculiar element and inhomogeneous enrichment patterns will be discussed and related to the question of to what extent the faintest dSph candidates and outer halo globular clusters could have contributed to the metal-poor Galactic halo.

Keywords

stars: abundancesGalaxy: evolutionGalaxy: haloglobular clusters: individual (Pal 3)galaxies: abundancesgalaxies: dwarfgalaxies: evolutiongalaxies: individual (Hercules)galaxies: stellar content
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 5 , Symposium S265: Chemical Abundances in the Universe: Connecting First Stars to Planets , August 2009 , pp. 227 - 232
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2010

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