Are Nucleosynthetic Yields Universal? Interpreting the Multi-Elemental Abundances of Quiescent Galaxies over Cosmic Time Using Milky Way Stars

arXiv (Cornell University)

Abstract

The detailed abundance patterns of quiescent galaxies offer powerful constraints on their formation and evolution. Yet physical insight remains elusive, as nucleosynthetic yields are notoriously uncertain. We introduce a framework that circumvents this problem by using Milky Way abundance trends as empirical proxies for the yields. Applied to quiescent galaxies spanning three redshifts, SDSS ($z\sim0$), LEGA-C ($z\sim0.7$), and JWST/SUSPENSE ($z\sim2$), our approach recovers the $α$- and Fe-peak abundances with a median offset of ~0.05 dex across 14 elements, compared to ~0.23 dex for theoretical yields. The largest discrepancies arise in N, Sr, Ba, and (at $z\sim2$) C, all of which depend on AGB enrichment, a channel we do not explicitly model. We explore the impact of a top-heavy IMF on our predictions and find that it can shift the IMF-averaged core-collapse supernova yields by ~0.05-0.2 dex in a direction that reduces the overall residuals. Surprisingly, the predictions succeed even without modeling the full chemical-evolution history of a galaxy; just Mg and Fe, which trace the relative contributions of core-collapse and Type Ia supernovae, suffice to predict $α$- and Fe-peak elements. The success of the empirical yields, previously demonstrated in dwarf galaxies and the Milky Way disk, and now extended to massive quiescent galaxies, suggests that $α$- and Fe-peak nucleosynthetic yields are largely universal. This lack of complexity makes galaxy abundance patterns highly predictable. Embedding these empirical yields in SPS models will improve inferences on stellar population properties and star formation histories. Moreover, incorporating them into cosmological simulations will produce more observationally motivated predictions.

Authors 6

1. Aliza G. Beverage
2. David H. Weinberg

   The Ohio State University

   Affiliation as printed

   The Department of Astronomy and Center of Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics , The Ohio State University , Columbus , OH 43210 , USA

3. Mariska Kriek Aachen Leiden Observatory

   Leiden University · Leiden Observatory

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden Observatory , Leiden University , P.O. Box 9513 , 2300 RA Leiden , The Netherlands

4. Nicole Marcelina Gountanis

   The Ohio State University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Astronomy and Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics , The Ohio State University , Columbus , OH 43210 , USA

5. Andrew B. Newman

   Carnegie Institution for Science · Carnegie Observatories

   Affiliation as printed

   Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science , 813 Santa Barbara Street , Pasadena , CA 91101 , USA

6. Daniel R. Weisz

   University of California, Berkeley

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Astronomy , University of California , Berkeley , CA 94720 , USA