Bibcode
La Barbera, F.; Vazdekis, A.; Ferreras, I.; Pasquali, A.; Allende Prieto, C.; Röck, B.; Aguado, D. S.; Peletier, R. F.
Bibliographical reference
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 464, Issue 3, p.3597-3616
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1
2017
Citations
63
Refereed citations
60
Description
We present a joint analysis of the four most prominent sodium-sensitive
features (Na D, Na I λ8190Å, Na I λ1.14 μm, and
Na I λ2.21 μm), in the optical and near-infrared spectral
ranges, of two nearby, massive (σ ˜ 300 km s-1),
early-type galaxies (named XSG1 and XSG2). Our analysis relies on deep
Very Large Telescope/X-Shooter long-slit spectra, along with newly
developed stellar population models, allowing for [Na/Fe] variations, up
to ˜1.2 dex, over a wide range of age, total metallicity, and
initial mass function (IMF) slope. The new models show that the response
of the Na-dependent spectral indices to [Na/Fe] is stronger when the IMF
is bottom heavier. For the first time, we are able to match all four Na
features in the central regions of massive early-type galaxies finding
an overabundance of [Na/Fe] in the range 0.5-0.7 dex and a bottom-heavy
IMF. Therefore, individual abundance variations cannot be fully
responsible for the trends of gravity-sensitive indices, strengthening
the case towards a non-universal IMF. Given current limitations of
theoretical atmosphere models, our [Na/Fe] estimates should be taken as
upper limits. For XSG1, where line strengths are measured out to
˜0.8 Re, the radial trend of [Na/Fe] is similar to
[α/Fe] and [C/Fe], being constant out to ˜0.5 Re,
and decreasing by ˜0.2-0.3 dex at ˜0.8 Re,
without any clear correlation with local metallicity. Such a result
seems to be in contrast to the predicted increase of Na nucleosynthetic
yields from asymptotic giant branch stars and Type II supernovae. For
XSG1, the Na-inferred IMF radial profile is consistent, within the
errors, with that derived from TiO features and the Wing-Ford band
presented in a recent paper.
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