Chemical evolution of the Galactic bulge with different stellar populations

TL;DR

This study models the chemical evolution of the Galactic bulge, successfully reproducing its bimodal metallicity distribution and abundance patterns by considering multiple star formation episodes, stellar migration, and nucleosynthesis effects.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed chemical evolution model that accounts for multiple stellar populations, stellar migration, and nucleosynthesis, explaining the bulge's observed MDF and abundance trends.

Findings

Model reproduces the double-peak MDF of the bulge.

Stellar migration from the inner disk contributes ~40% of bulge stars.

Rotational velocity assumptions in nucleosynthesis models affect abundance pattern matches.

Abstract

The metallicity distribution function (MDF) of the Galactic bulge features a multi-peak shape, with a metal-poor peak at [Fe/H]=-0.3 dex and a metal-rich peak at [Fe/H]=+0.3 dex. This bimodality is also seen in [alpha/Fe] versus [Fe/H] ratios, indicating different stellar populations in the bulge. We aim to replicate the observed MDF by proposing a scenario where the metal-poor bulge stars formed in situ during an intense star formation burst, while the metal-rich stars formed during a second burst and/or were accreted from the inner Galactic disk due to a growing bar. We used a chemical evolution model that tracks various chemical species with detailed nucleosynthesis, focusing on Fe production from both Type Ia supernovae and massive stars, including rotating massive stars with varying velocities. Our model also accounts for gas infall, outflow, and the effect of stellar migration. Results are compared to 13,000 stars from the SDSS/APOGEE survey within 3.5 kpc of the Galactic center. Our model successfully reproduces the double-peak shape of the bulge MDF and the alpha-element abundance trends relative to Fe by assuming (i) a multi-burst star formation history with a 250 Myr quenching of the first burst and (ii) stellar migration from the inner disk due to a growing bar. We estimate that about 40% of the bulge-bar's stellar mass originates from the inner disk. Nucleosynthesis models that assume either no rotation for massive stars or a rotational velocity distribution favoring slow rotation at high metallicities best match the observed MDF and [alpha/Fe] and [Ce/Fe] versus [Fe/H] abundance patterns.