Chemical evolution of the Milky Way: constraints on the formation of the thick and thin discs

Palla, M; Matteucci, F; Spitoni, E; Vincenzo, F; Grisoni, V

Abstract

We study the evolution of Milky Way thick and thin discs in the light of the most recent observational data. In particular, we analyse abundance gradients of O, N, Fe, and Mg along the thin disc as well as the [Mg/Fe] versus [Fe/H] relations and the metallicity distribution functions at different Galactocentric distances. We run several models starting from the two-infall paradigm, assuming that the thick and thin discs formed by means of two different infall episodes, and we explore several physical parameters, such as radial gas flows, variable efficiency of star formation, different times for the maximum infall on to the disc, different distributions of the total surface mass density of the thick disc, and enriched gas infall. Our best model suggests that radial gas flows and variable efficiency of star formation should be acting together with the inside-out mechanism for the thin disc formation. The time-scale for maximum infall on to the thin disc, which determines the gap between the formation of the two discs, should be tmax ≃ 3.25 Gyr. The thick disc should have an exponential, small-scale length density profile and gas infall on the inner thin disc should be enriched. We also compute the evolution of Gaia–Enceladus system and study the effects of possible interactions with the thick and thin discs. We conclude that the gas lost by Enceladus or even part of it could have been responsible for the formation of the thick disc but not the thin disc.

Citation

Palla, M., Matteucci, F., Spitoni, E., Vincenzo, F., & Grisoni, V. (2020). Chemical evolution of the Milky Way: constraints on the formation of the thick and thin discs. Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 498(2), 1710-1725. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa2437

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 9, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Aug 17, 2020
• Publication Date: Sep 16, 2020
• Deposit Date: Mar 12, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 28, 2022
• Journal: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
• Print ISSN: 0035-8711
• Electronic ISSN: 1365-2966
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 498
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 1710-1725
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa2437
• Keywords: Space and Planetary Science; Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3948133