In this series of lectures I discuss the basic principles and the modelling of the chemical evolution of galaxies. In particular, I present models for the chemical evolution of the Milky Way galaxy and compare them with the available observational data. ¿From this comparison one can infer important constraints on the mechanism of formation of the Milky Way as well as on stellar nucleosynthesis and supernova progenitors. Models for the chemical evolution of elliptical galaxies are also shown in the framework of the two competing scenarios for galaxy formation: monolithic and hierachical. The evolution of dwarf starbursting galaxies is also presented and the connection of these objects with Damped Lyman-α systems is briefly discussed. The roles of supernovae of different type (I, II) is discussed in the general framework of galactic evolution and in connection with the interpretation of high redshift objects. Finally, the chemical enrichment of the intracluster medium as due mainly to ellipticals and S0 galaxies is discussed.

Basic parameters of chemical evolution

Galactic chemical evolution is the study of the evolution in time and space of the abundances of the chemical elements in the interstellar gas in galaxies. This process is influenced by many parameters such as the initial conditions, the star formation and evolution, the nucleosynthesis and possible has flows.

In these lectures I present a highly opinionated review of the observed patterns of metallicity and element abundance ratios in nearby spiral, irregular, and dwarf elliptical galaxies, with connection to a number of astrophysical issues associated with chemical evolution. I also discuss some of the observational and theoretical issues associated with measuring abundances in H II regions and gas and stellar surface densities in disk galaxies. Finally, I will outline a few open questions that deserve attention in future investigations.

Introduction

The measurement of element abundances in galaxies other than our own has a roughly forty-year history, beginning with early attempts to measure helium abundances in giant H II regions in the Magellanic Clouds and M33 (Aller & Faulkner 1962, Mathis 1962) and pioneering studies of heavy element abundances from forbidden lines in extragalactic H II regions (e.g. Peimbert & Spinrad 1970, Searle 1971, Searle & Sargent 1972). Since then this field has grown tremendously, with high quality oxygen abundance data in some 40 nearby spiral galaxies and more than 100 irregular and compact dwarf galaxies. The amount of data for other elements (C, N, Ne, S, and Ar) has also improved tremendously, thanks largely to improvements in visible-wavelength detectors and the launching of spacecraft observatories, such as IUE, HST, and ISO, which have opened up the UV and IR spectral regions for spectroscopy.

The methods of abundance determinations in H ii regions and planetary nebulae are described, with emphasis on the underlying assumptions and inherent problems. Recent results on abundances in Galactic H ii regions and in Galactic and extragalactic Planetary Nebulae are reviewed.

Introduction

H ii regions are ionized clouds of gas associated with zones of recent star formation. They are powered by one, a few, or a cluster of massive stars (depending on the resolution at which one is working). The effective temperatures T* of the ionizing stars lie in the range 35 000 – 50 000 K. The nebular geometries result from the structure of the parent molecular cloud. Stellar winds, at evolved stages, may produce ring-like structures, but the morphology of H ii regions is generally rather complex on all scales. Typical hydrogen densities n are 103 – 104 cm–3 for compact H ii regions. The average densities in giant extragalactic H ii regions are lower, typically 102 cm–3 since giant H ii regions encompass also zones of diffuse material. The total supply of nebular gas is generally large, so that all (or at least a significant fraction) of the ionizing photons are absorbed.

Planetary nebulae (PNe) are evolutionary products of so-called intermediate mass stars (initial masses of 1 – 8 M⊙) as they progress from the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) to the white dwarf stage.

The distribution of elements in the cosmos is the result of many different physical processes in the history of the Universe, from Big Bang to present times. Its study provides us with a powerful tool for understanding the physical conditions of the primordial cosmos, the physics of nucleosynthesis processes that occur in different objects and places, and the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies. Cosmochemistry is a fundamental topic for many different branches of Astrophysics as Cosmology, Stellar Structure and Evolution, Interstellar Medium, and Galaxy Formation and Evolution.

The advances made in the last decade of the XXth century in the study of the chemical evolution of the Universe have been really spectacular. On one hand, they have been brought by the availability of large-aperture ground-based telescopes and space borne telescopes (working in both the visible and other regions of the electromagnetic spectrum), and on the other hand by advances in theory and numerical modelling techniques in many fields of astrophysics such as stellar evolution stellar atmospheres, the physics of ionised plasmas and atomic and molecular physics.

According to the predictions of the most commonly accepted cosmological models, most of the light elements, especially deuterium and helium, were produced during the first minutes after the Big Bang. Comparison between observed and predicted lightelement abundances is one of the classical fundamental tests of cosmological models. Stellar evolutionary models have advanced considerably in recent years.

Of the light nuclides observed in the universe today, D, 3He, 4He, and 7Li are relics from its early evolution. The primordial abundances of these relics, produced via Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) during the first half hour of the evolution of the universe provide a unique window on Physics and Cosmology at redshifts ∼ 1010. Comparing the BBN-predicted abundances with those inferred from observational data tests the consistency of the standard cosmological model over ten orders of magnitude in redshift, constrains the baryon and other particle content of the universe, and probes both Physics and Cosmology beyond the current standard models. These lectures are intended to introduce students, both of theory and observation, to those aspects of the evolution of the universe relevant to the production and evolution of the light nuclides from the Big Bang to the present. The current observational data is reviewed and compared with the BBN predictions and the implications for cosmology (e.g., universal baryon density) and particle physics (e.g., relativistic energy density) are discussed. While this comparison reveals the stunning success of the standard model(s), there are currently some challenges which leave open the door for more theoretical and observational work with potential implications for astronomy, cosmology, and particle physics.

Introduction

The present universe is expanding and is filled with radiation (the 2.7 K Cosmic Microwave Background - CMB) as well as “ordinary” matter (baryons), “dark” matter and, “dark energy”.

The horizon for studies of element abundances has expanded dramatically in the last ten years. Once the domain of astronomers concerned chiefly with stars and nearby galaxies, this field has now become a key component of observational cosmology, as technological advances have made it possible to measure the abundances of several chemical elements in a variety of environments at redshifts up to z ≃ 4, when the universe was in its infancy. In this series of lectures I summarise current knowledge on the chemical make-up of distant galaxies observed directly in their starlight, and of interstellar and intergalactic gas seen in absorption against the spectra of bright background sources. The picture which is emerging is one where the universe at z = 3 already included many of the constituents of today's galaxies—even at these early times we see evidence for Population I and II stars, while the ‘smoking gun’ for Population III objects may be hidden in the chemical composition of the lowest density regions of the intergalactic medium, yet to be deciphered.

Introduction

One of the exciting developments in observational cosmology over the last few years has been the ability to extend studies of element abundances from the local universe to high redshifts.