Elemental Abundances in M31: A Comparative Analysis of Iron and Alpha Element Abundances in the Outer Disk, Giant Stellar Stream, and Inner Halo of M31

Abstract

We measured [Fe/H] and [$\alpha$/Fe] using spectral synthesis of low-resolution stellar spectroscopy for 70 individual red giant branch stars across four fields spanning the outer disk, Giant Stellar Stream (GSS), and inner halo of M31. Fields at M31-centric projected distances of 23 kpc in the halo, 12 kpc in the halo, 22 kpc in the GSS, and 26 kpc in the outer disk are $\alpha$-enhanced, with $⟨$[$\alpha$/Fe]$⟩$ = 0.43, 0.50, 0.41, and 0.58, respectively. The 23 kpc and 12 kpc halo fields are relatively metal-poor, with $⟨$[Fe/H]$⟩$ = $-$1.54 and $-$1.30, whereas the 22 kpc GSS and 26 kpc outer disk fields are relatively metal-rich with $⟨$[Fe/H]$⟩$ = $-$0.84 and $-$0.92, respectively. For fields with substructure, we separated the stellar populations into kinematically hot stellar halo components and kinematically cold components. We did not find any evidence of an [$\alpha$/Fe] gradient along the high surface brightness core of the GSS between $\sim$17$-$22 kpc. However, we found tentative suggestions of a negative [$\alpha$/Fe] gradient in the stellar halo, which may indicate that different progenitor(s) or formation mechanisms contributed to the build up of the inner versus outer halo. Additionally, the [$\alpha$/Fe] distribution of the metal-rich ([Fe/H] $>$ $-$1.5), smooth inner stellar halo (r${}_{\mathrm{proj}}$ $\lesssim$ 26 kpc) is inconsistent with having formed from the disruption of progenitor(s) similar to present-day M31 satellite galaxies. The 26 kpc outer disk is most likely associated with the extended disk of M31, where its high $\alpha$-enhancement provides support for an episode of rapid star formation in M31's disk, possibly induced by a major merger.

32 pages, 19 figures, 6 tables, ApJ in press