Equilibrium and Sudden Events in Chemical Evolution

Abstract

We present new analytic solutions for one-zone (fully mixed) chemical evolution models and explore their implications. In contrast to existing analytic models, we incorporate a realistic delay time distribution for Type Ia supernovae (SNIa) and can therefore track the separate evolution of $\alpha$-elements produced by core collapse supernovae (CCSNe) and iron peak elements synthesized in both CCSNe and SNIa. In generic cases, $\alpha$ and iron abundances evolve to an equilibrium at which element production is balanced by metal consumption and gas dilution, instead of continuing to increase over time. The equilibrium absolute abundances depend principally on supernova yields and the outflow mass loading parameter $\eta$, while the equilibrium abundance ratio [$\alpha$/Fe] depends mainly on yields and secondarily on star formation history. A stellar population can be metal-poor either because it has not yet evolved to equilibrium or because high outflow efficiency makes the equilibrium abundance itself low. Systems with ongoing gas accretion develop metallicity distribution functions (MDFs) that are sharply peaked, while "gas starved" systems with rapidly declining star formation have broadly peaked MDFs. A burst of star formation that consumes a significant fraction of a system's available gas can temporarily boost [$\alpha$/Fe] by 0.1-0.3 dex, a possible origin for rare, $\alpha$-enhanced stars with intermediate age or high metallicity. Other sudden transitions in system properties can produce surprising behavior, including backward evolution of a stellar population from high metallicity to low metallicity. An Appendix provides a user's guide for calculating enrichment histories, [$\alpha$/Fe] tracks, and MDFs for a wide variety of scenarios, including flexible forms of star formation history.

30 pp., 13 figs, submitted to ApJ

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