Superbubble Activity in Star-Forming Galaxies

Mechanical feedback from massive stars, primarily from supernovae, can dominate ISM structuring and phase balance, thereby profoundly affecting galactic evolutionary processes. Our understanding of mechanical feedback is based on the adiabatic, wind-driven bubble model, applied on size scales ranging over three decades. Tests of the model, and our consequent understanding of feedback, are reviewed. While the model is broadly successful, critical unknowns still prevent a comprehensive understanding of the consequences of feedback.Comment: 10 pp., uses kluwer.cls. Invited Review to appear in "From Observations to Self-Consistent Modelling of the ISM in Galaxies, eds. M. A. de Avillez & D. Breitschwerdt, JENAM 2002 WS-ISM, (Kluwer) Ap&SS, in pres

The number and metallicities of the most metal-poor stars

Simple, one-zone models for inhomogeneous chemical evolution of the Galactic halo are used to predict the number fraction of zero-metallicity, Population III stars, which currently is empirically estimated at < 4e-4. These analytic models minimize the number of free parameters, highlighting the most fundamental constraints on halo evolution. There are disagreements of at least an order of magnitude between observations and predictions in limiting cases for both homogeneous Simple Model and Simple Inhomogeneous Model (SIM). Hence, this demonstrates a quantitative, unambiguous discrepancy in the observed and expected fraction of Population III stars. We explore how the metallicity distribution of the parent enrichment events f(z_0) drives the SIM and predictions for the Population III fraction. The SIM shows that the previously-identified "high halo" and "low halo" populations are consistent with a continuous evolutionary progression, and therefore may not necessarily be physically distinct populations. Possible evolutionary scenarios for halo evolution are discussed within the SIM's simplistic one-zone paradigm. The values of z_0 depend strongly on metal dispersal processes, thus we investigate interstellar mixing and mass transport, for the first time explicitly incorporating this into a semi-analytic chemical evolution model. Diffusion is found to be inefficient for all phases, including the hot phase, of the interstellar medium (ISM): relevant diffusion lengths are 2 - 4 orders of magnitude smaller than corresponding length scales for turbulent mixing. Rough relations for dispersal processes are given for multiphase ISM. These suggest that the expected low-metallicity threshold above zero is consistent with the currently observed limit.Comment: Accepted to MNRAS. 14 pp, 4 figures; uses mn2e.cls (included

Exploring the Milky Way stellar disk. A detailed elemental abundance study of 714 F and G dwarf stars in the Solar neighbourhood

ABRIDGED: METHODS: We have conducted a high-resolution spectroscopic study of 714 F and G dwarf and subgiant stars in the Solar neighbourhood. The star sample has been kinematically selected to trace the Galactic thin and thick disks to their extremes...... The determination of stellar parameters and elemental abundances is based on a standard 1-D LTE analysis using equivalent width measurements in high-resolution (R=40000-110000) and high signal-to-noise (S/N=150-300) spectra obtained with..... RESULTS: .... Our data show that there is an old and alpha-enhanced disk population, and a younger and less alpha-enhanced disk population. While they overlap greatly in metallicity between -0.7<[Fe/H]<+0.1, they show a bimodal distribution in [alpha/Fe]. This bimodality becomes even clearer if stars where stellar parameters and abundances show larger uncertainties (Teff<5400 K) are discarded, showing that it is important to constrain the data set to a narrow range in the stellar parameters if small differences between stellar populations are to be revealed. We furthermore find that the alpha-enhanced population has orbital parameters placing the stellar birthplaces in the inner Galactic disk while the low-alpha stars mainly come from the outer Galactic disk........... We furthermore have discovered that a standard 1-D, LTE analysis, utilising ionisation and excitation balance of Fe I and Fe II lines produces a flat lower main sequence. As the exact cause for this effect is unclear we chose to apply an empirical correction. Turn-off, and more evolved, stars, appears to be un-affected.Comment: 28 pages, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics, this version includes 11 more stars and has been modified after referee's comment