Chemical abundance and age in the Magellanic Clouds; with special reference to SN 1987A.
Abstract
Evidence relating to the chemical abundance of objects of known age in the Magellanic Clouds is reviewed. For ages <2×108 years the mean [Fe/H] values are -0.2 (LMC) and -0.5 (SMC) where [Fe/H] is the difference between Cloud objects and similar objects in the solar neighbourhood. C and N are more deficient than this in Cloud H II regions. The relevance of these results for models for SN 1987A in the LMC is noted and recent work on this supernova is summarized. In the mean, the results show a roughly exponential increase in metal abundance with time over the last ≡1010years in both Clouds. The blue globular cluster NGC 330 (age 7×106years, [Fe/H] = -1.4) is significantly more metal deficient than other young SMC objects suggesting it may have formed remote from them, perhaps in the Magellanic Stream.
- Publication:
-
World of Galaxies (Le Monde des Galaxies)
- Pub Date:
- 1989
- Bibcode:
- 1989woga.conf..118F
- Keywords:
-
- Chemical Composition;
- Interstellar Chemistry;
- Magellanic Clouds;
- Supernova 1987a;
- Bolometers;
- Carbon;
- Cepheid Variables;
- H Ii Regions;
- Light Curve;
- Metallicity;
- Nitrogen;
- Solar Neighborhood;
- Supergiant Stars;
- Astrophysics;
- Magellanic Clouds: Ages;
- Magellanic Clouds: Chemical Composition;
- Supernova 1987A in LMC