The Abundance Pattern of $\alpha$ elements in the Triangulum-Andromeda Overdensity

TL;DR

This study investigates the chemical abundance patterns of alpha elements in Triangulum-Andromeda stars, revealing a unique pattern that differs from the local disk and resembles dwarf galaxy signatures, suggesting a distinct evolutionary history.

Contribution

The paper provides the first detailed alpha-element abundance analysis of TriAnd stars, highlighting their unique chemical pattern and its implications for understanding their origin and relation to the Milky Way.

Findings

TriAnd stars show an alpha-element pattern distinct from the local disk.

Lower metallicity TriAnd stars have high [Mg/Fe], indicating a shifted 'knee'.

O and Ti ratios decrease slightly with decreasing metallicity.

Abstract

The close relationship between the nature of the Triangulum-Andromeda (TriAnd) overdensity and the Galactic disk has become increasingly evident in recent years. However, the chemical pattern of this overdensity (R$_{GC}$ = 20 - 30 kpc) is unique and differs from what we know of the local disk. In this study, we analyze the chemical abundances of five $\alpha$ elements (Mg, O, Si, Ca, and Ti) in a sample of stars belonging to the TriAnd overdensity, including stars with [Fe/H] $<$ $-$1.2, to investigate the evolution of the $\alpha$ elements with metallicity. High-resolution spectra from Gemini North with GRACES were analyzed. Overall, the TriAnd population presents an $\alpha$-element pattern that differs from that of the local disk; the TriAnd stars fall in between the local disk and the dwarf galaxies in the [X/Fe] vs. [Fe/H] plane. The high [Mg/Fe] ratios obtained for the lower metallicity TriAnd stars may indicate a roughly parallel sequence to the Milky Way local disk at lower values of [Fe/H], revealing a 'knee' shifted towards lower metallicities for the TriAnd population. Similar behavior is also exhibited in the [Ca/Fe] and [Si/Fe] ratios. However, for O and Ti the behavior of the [X/Fe] ratios shows a slight decay with decreasing metallicity. Our results reinforce the TriAnd overdensity as a unique stellar population of the Milky Way, with an abundance pattern that is different from all stellar populations studied to date. The complete understanding of the complex TriAnd population will require high-resolution spectroscopic observations of a larger sample of TriAnd stars.