The stellar metallicity distribution of disc galaxies and bulges in cosmological simulations

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dc.creator Gibson, Brad K.
dc.creator Calura, F.
dc.creator Michel-Dansac, L.
dc.creator Stinson, G. S.
dc.creator Dotter, A.
dc.creator Pilkington, K.
dc.creator House, E. L.
dc.creator Brook, C. B.
dc.creator Few, C. G.
dc.creator Cignoni, M.
dc.date.accessioned 2014-09-25T14:37:44Z
dc.date.available 2014-09-25T14:37:44Z
dc.date.issued 2012-12
dc.identifier.issn 0035-8711
dc.identifier.uri http://library2.smu.ca/xmlui/handle/01/25873
dc.description Publisher's version/PDF en_CA
dc.description.abstract By means of high-resolution cosmological hydrodynamical simulations of Milky Way (MW) like disc galaxies, we conduct an analysis of the associated stellar metallicity distribution functions (MDFs). After undertaking a kinematic decomposition of each simulation into spheroid and disc subcomponents, we compare the predicted MDFs to those observed in the solar neighbourhood and the Galactic bulge. The effects of the star formation density threshold are visible in the star formation histories, which show a modulation in their behaviour driven by the threshold. The derived MDFs show median metallicities lower by 0.2–0.3 dex than the MDF observed locally in the disc and in the Galactic bulge. Possible reasons for this apparent discrepancy include the use of low stellar yields and/or centrally concentrated star formation. The dispersions are larger than the one of the observed MDF; this could be due to simulated discs being kinematically hotter relative to the MW. The fraction of low-metallicity stars is largely overestimated, visible from the more negatively skewed MDF with respect to the observational sample. For our fiducial MW analogue, we study the metallicity distribution of the stars born in situ relative to those formed via accretion (from disrupted satellites), and demonstrate that this low-metallicity tail to the MDF is populated primarily by accreted stars. Enhanced supernova and stellar radiation energy feedback to the surrounding interstellar media of these pre-disrupted satellites is suggested as an important regulator of the MDF skewness. en_CA
dc.description.provenance Submitted by Janine Mills (janine.mills@smu.ca) on 2014-09-25T14:37:44Z No. of bitstreams: 1 gibson_b_k_article_2012_a.pdf: 2459019 bytes, checksum: bb4a5cebc37e689010bb1a357f9ea225 (MD5) en
dc.description.provenance Made available in DSpace on 2014-09-25T14:37:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 gibson_b_k_article_2012_a.pdf: 2459019 bytes, checksum: bb4a5cebc37e689010bb1a357f9ea225 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 en
dc.language.iso en en_CA
dc.publisher Royal Astronomical Society en_CA
dc.relation.uri http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.22052.x
dc.subject.lcsh Galaxies -- Formation
dc.subject.lcsh Galaxies -- Evolution
dc.subject.lcsh Hydrodynamics
dc.subject.lcsh Cosmology
dc.title The stellar metallicity distribution of disc galaxies and bulges in cosmological simulations en_CA
dc.type Text en_CA
dcterms.bibliographicCitation Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 427(2), 1401-1417. (2012) en_CA
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Published Version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.22052.x
 
 

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