Stellar Populations with MaNGA: Iron Kink and Nitrogen Fuzz

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Worthey, Guy, Pal, Tathagata
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2025
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author Worthey, Guy
Pal, Tathagata
author_facet Worthey, Guy
Pal, Tathagata
contents Recent analysis of 2968 MaNGA early type galaxies has yielded two notable trends with velocity dispersion ($σ$) not previously discussed in the literature. First, Fe abundance rises with $σ$, but only until $σ\approx100$ km s$^{-1}$, after which it falls. This kink is reproduced by TNG100 simulations, implying that hierarchical merger processes might explain it. Second, astrophysical scatter in N is high for galaxies with $σ< 100$ km s$^{-1}$. Due to the restricted list of nucleosynthetic sources for N, it is likely that asymptotic giant branch stars provide most of this N. A varied star formation history (compared to that of massive galaxies) along with variable retention and recycling of N-enriched gas might explain the fuzz of N abundance in low-$σ$ galaxies. Because a timescale argument seems necessary to explain the nitrogen fuzz, and an initial mass function argument is ruled out, similar timescale arguments for the [Mg/Fe] trend as a function of velocity dispersion are supported.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_08827
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Stellar Populations with MaNGA: Iron Kink and Nitrogen Fuzz
Worthey, Guy
Pal, Tathagata
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Recent analysis of 2968 MaNGA early type galaxies has yielded two notable trends with velocity dispersion ($σ$) not previously discussed in the literature. First, Fe abundance rises with $σ$, but only until $σ\approx100$ km s$^{-1}$, after which it falls. This kink is reproduced by TNG100 simulations, implying that hierarchical merger processes might explain it. Second, astrophysical scatter in N is high for galaxies with $σ< 100$ km s$^{-1}$. Due to the restricted list of nucleosynthetic sources for N, it is likely that asymptotic giant branch stars provide most of this N. A varied star formation history (compared to that of massive galaxies) along with variable retention and recycling of N-enriched gas might explain the fuzz of N abundance in low-$σ$ galaxies. Because a timescale argument seems necessary to explain the nitrogen fuzz, and an initial mass function argument is ruled out, similar timescale arguments for the [Mg/Fe] trend as a function of velocity dispersion are supported.
title Stellar Populations with MaNGA: Iron Kink and Nitrogen Fuzz
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.08827