Galactic Chemical Evolution: Stellar Yields and the Initial Mass Function

TL;DR

This study evaluates 144 galactic chemical evolution models for the Milky Way, analyzing how different stellar yields and initial mass functions influence chemical enrichment predictions and matching them to observed data.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive comparison of multiple stellar yield sets and initial mass functions to identify the best combination for modeling the Milky Way's chemical evolution.

Findings

Identified the optimal stellar yield and initial mass function combination.

Demonstrated the effectiveness of a chi2 methodology in model-data comparison.

Provided insights into the chemical enrichment processes of the Milky Way.

Abstract

We present a set of 144 galactic chemical evolution models applied to a Milky Way analogue, computed using four sets of low and intermediate star nucleosynthetic yields, six massive star yield compilations, and six functional forms for the initial mass function. The integrated or true yields for each combination are derived. A comparison is made between a grid of multiphase chemical evolution models computed with these yield combinations and empirical data drawn from the Milky Way's disc, including the solar neighbourhood. By means of a chi2 methodology, applied to the results of these multiphase models, the best combination of stellar yields and initial mass function capable of reproducing these observations is identified.