The Ages and Mass Loss Rates of Elliptical Galaxies

Details The Ages and Mass Loss Rates of Elliptical Galaxies The Ages and Mass Loss Rates of Elliptical Galaxies

Sep 2004

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004sptz.prop.3535b&link_type=abstract

Spitzer Proposal ID #3535

Physics

Scientific paper

The ages of elliptical galaxies are traditionally determined through absorption line indices where investigators must contend with the age-metallicity degeneracy and contamination by a few young stars. These studies result in a wide range of mean ages, 2-18 Gyr, suggesting that many ellipticals are relatively young, which has implications for models of elliptical galaxy formation and evolution. An independent and possibly more powerful age diagnostic for these galaxies is the collective mass loss rate of the stars, since it decreases as age^-1.35. We can to determine the collective stellar mass loss rate in a galaxy by measuring the silicate emission feature near 10um, which is produced during stellar outflow in AGB stars. We detected this feature in a few early-type galaxies with ISO, but with the IRS, we propose to measure the silicate emission accurately and as a function of radius for a sample of 31 galaxies with the best available optical absorption line ages.

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