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Toward a Solution for the Ca II Triplet Puzzle: Results from Dwarf Elliptical Galaxies

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Published 2007 October 29 • © 2007. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
, , Citation Dolf Michielsen et al 2007 ApJ 670 L101 DOI 10.1086/524404

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Author affiliations

1 School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, NG7 2RD Nottingham, UK

2 Université de Lyon, Lyon, France

3 Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, F-69622, France

4 Centre de Recherche Astronomique de Lyon, Observatoire de Lyon, F-69561, France

5 CNRS, UMR 5574

6 Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France

7 Department of Astronomy, St. Kl. Ohridski University of Sofia, BG-1164 Sofia, Bulgaria

8 GEPI Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, 5 place Jules Janssen, Meudon, F-92195, France

9 Institut für Astronomie, Universität Wien, Türkenschanzstrasse 17, A-1180 Wien, Austria

10 Sterrenkundig Observatorium, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, S9, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium

11 Research Postdoctoral Fellow of the Fund for Scientific Research, Flanders, Belgium (FWO)

12 Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Koenigstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg, Germany

13 Physics Department, King's College London, Strand, London WC2R 2LS, UK

14 Centre for Astrophysics, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE, UK

15 RCUK Academic Fellow

Dates

  1. Received 2007 July 16
  2. Accepted 2007 October 15
  3. Published
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1538-4357/670/2/L101

Abstract

We present new estimates of ages and metallicities, based on VLT FORS optical (4400-5500 Å) spectroscopy, of 16 dwarf elliptical galaxies (dE's) in the Fornax Cluster and in southern groups. These dE's are more metal-rich and younger than previous estimates based on narrowband photometry and low-resolution spectroscopy. For our sample we find a mean metallicity [Z/H] = -0.33 dex and mean age 3.5 Gyr, consistent with similar samples of dE's in other environments (Local Group, Virgo). Three dE's in our sample show emission lines and very young ages. This suggests that some dE's formed stars until a very recent epoch and were self-enriched by a long star formation history. Previous observations of large near-infrared (~8500 Å) Ca II absorption strengths in these dE's are in good agreement with the new metallicity estimates, solving part of the so-called calcium puzzle.

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10.1086/524404