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Issue A&A Volume 404, Number 1, June II 2003 Page(s) 211 - 215 Section Stellar clusters and associations DOI 10.1051/0004-6361:20030445

A&A 404, 211-215 (2003)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20030445

On the early evolution of the Galactic halo

N. Prantzos

Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, 98bis Bd. Arago, 75014, Paris, France
(Received 13 January 2003 / Accepted 18 March 2003 )

Abstract
It is shown that the low-metallicity tail of the stellar metallicity distribution predicted by simple Outflow models for the Milky Way halo depends sensitively on whether instantaneous recycling is adopted or relaxed. In both cases, current - and still preliminary - data suggest a "G-dwarf problem" for the halo (reminiscent of the local disk). We suggest that the problem can be solved by introducing a (physically motivated) early infall phase. We point out several important implications of such a modification, concerning: the putative Pop. III (super)massive stars, the number of stars expected at very low metallicities, the questions of primary nitrogen and of the dispersion in abundance ratios of halo stars.

Key words: Galaxy: abundances -- Galaxy: evolution -- Galaxy: formation -- Galaxy: halo -- Galaxy: stellar content

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