TY - JOUR
T1 - Destruction of wide binary stars in low-mass elliptical galaxies
T2 - Implications for initial mass function estimates
AU - Maccarone, Thomas J.
PY - 2014/6
Y1 - 2014/6
N2 - We discuss the effects of destruction of wide binaries in the nuclei of the lower mass giant elliptical galaxies. We show that the numbers of barium stars and extrinsic S stars should be dramatically reduced in these galaxies compared to what is seen in the largest elliptical galaxies. Given that the extrinsic S stars show strong Wing-Ford band and Na I D absorption, we argue that the recent claims of different initial mass functions from the most massive elliptical galaxies versus lower mass ellipticals may be the result of extrinsic S stars, rather than bottom-heavy initial mass function.
AB - We discuss the effects of destruction of wide binaries in the nuclei of the lower mass giant elliptical galaxies. We show that the numbers of barium stars and extrinsic S stars should be dramatically reduced in these galaxies compared to what is seen in the largest elliptical galaxies. Given that the extrinsic S stars show strong Wing-Ford band and Na I D absorption, we argue that the recent claims of different initial mass functions from the most massive elliptical galaxies versus lower mass ellipticals may be the result of extrinsic S stars, rather than bottom-heavy initial mass function.
KW - Galaxies: stellar content
KW - Stars: chemically peculiar
KW - Supernovae: general
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84902190750&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/mnrasl/slu043
DO - 10.1093/mnrasl/slu043
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84902190750
SN - 1745-3925
VL - 442
SP - L5-L8
JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
IS - 1
M1 - slu043
ER -