Detailed $\alpha$ abundance trends in the inner Galactic bulge

TL;DR

This study provides detailed alpha-element abundance trends in the inner Galactic bulge using high-resolution IR spectra, revealing insights into its chemical evolution and comparing it with local stellar populations.

Contribution

It offers the first high-precision alpha-element abundance analysis of cool M giants in the inner Galactic bulge, incorporating recent theoretical data and NLTE corrections.

Findings

Alpha-element trends resemble thick disc patterns without a supersolar metallicity plateau.

NLTE corrections lower [Mg/Fe] by about 0.1 dex, affecting trend interpretations.

Calcium trends align with local thin and thick disc stars.

Abstract

In this paper, we aim to derive high-precision alpha-element abundances using CRIRES high-resolution IR spectra of 72 cool M giants of the inner Galactic bulge. Silicon, magnesium, and calcium abundances were determined by fitting a synthetic spectrum for each star. We also incorporated recent theoretical data into our spectroscopic analysis (i.e. updated K-band line list, better broadening parameter estimation, non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) corrections). We compare these inner bulge alpha abundance trends with those of solar neighbourhood stars observed with IGRINS using the same line list and analysis technique; we also compare our sample to APOGEE DR17 abundances for inner bulge stars. We investigate bulge membership using spectro-photometric distances and orbital simulations. We construct a chemical-evolution model that fits our metallicity distribution function (MDF) and our alpha-element trends. Among our 72 stars, we find four that are not bulge members. [Si/Fe] and [Mg/Fe] versus [Fe/H] trends show a typical thick disc alpha-element behaviour, except that we do not see any plateau at supersolar metallicities as seen in other works. The NLTE analysis lowers [Mg/Fe] typically by $\sim$0.1 dex, resulting in a noticeably lower trend of [Mg/Fe] versus [Fe/H]. The derived [Ca/Fe] versus [Fe/H] trend has a larger scatter than those for Si and Mg, but is in excellent agreement with local thin and thick disc trends. With our updated analysis, we constructed one of the most detailed studies of the alpha abundance trends of cool M giants in the inner Galactic bulge. We modelled these abundances by adopting a two-infall chemical-evolution model with two distinct gas-infall episodes with timescales of 0.4 Gyr and 2 Gyr, respectively. Based on a very meticulous spectral analysis, we have constructed detailed and precise chemical abundances of Mg, Si, and Ca for cool M giants.