Cumulative Oxygen Abundances of Spiral Galaxies

TL;DR

This paper introduces a new method for accurately determining the overall oxygen abundance in spiral galaxy disks by integrating chemical compositions out to large radii, overcoming the challenge posed by abundance gradients.

Contribution

A novel framework is proposed for calculating the total oxygen abundance in spiral galaxies by integrating chemical data radially, providing a more reliable measure of their overall chemical state.

Findings

Cumulative oxygen abundance approaches an asymptotic value at large radii.

The method effectively accounts for chemical gradients in spiral galaxies.

Provides a new way to assess the global chemical evolution of spiral disks.

Abstract

Studying the global evolution of spiral galaxies requires determining their overall chemical compositions. However, since spirals tend to possess gradients in their chemical compositions, determining their overall chemical abundances poses a challenge. In this study, the framework for a newly proposed method for determining the overall oxygen abundance of a disk is established. By separately integrating the absolute amounts of hydrogen and oxygen out to large radii, the cumulative oxygen abundance is shown to approach an asymptotic value. In this manner, a reliable account of the overall chemical state of a disk is revealed.