Free access article

A&A 394, 927-941 (2002)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20021157

age-metallicity relation of the solar neighbourhood disc stars

A. Ibukiyama¹ and N. Arimoto<sup>1, 2

1</sup>  Institute of Astronomy (IoA), School of Science, University of Tokyo, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-0015, Japan
²  National Astronomical Observatory, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan

(Received 12 December 2000 / Accepted 28 June 2002 )

Abstract
We derive age-metallicity relations (AMRs) and orbital parameters for the 1658 solar neighbourhood stars to which accurate distances are measured by the HIPPARCOS satellite. The sample stars comprise 1382 thin disc stars, 229 thick disc stars, and 47 halo stars according to their orbital parameters. We find a considerable scatter for thin disc AMR along the one-zone Galactic chemical evolution (GCE) model. Orbits and metallicities of thin disc stars show now clear relation each other. The scatter along the AMR exists even if the stars with the same orbits are selected. We examine simple extension of one-zone GCE models which account for inhomogeneity in the effective yield and inhomogeneous star formation rate in the Galaxy. Both extensions of the one-zone GCE model cannot account for the scatter in age - [Fe/H] - [Ca/Fe] relation simultaneously. We conclude, therefore, that the scatter along the thin disc AMR is an essential feature in the formation and evolution of the Galaxy. The AMR for thick disc stars shows that the star formation terminated 8 Gyr ago in the thick disc. As already reported by Gratton et al. (2000) and Prochaska et al. (2000), thick disc stars are more Ca-rich than thin disc stars with the same [Fe/H]. We find that thick disc stars show a vertical abundance gradient. These three facts, the AMR, vertical gradient, and [Ca/Fe]-[Fe/H] relation, support monolithic collapse and/or accretion of satellite dwarf galaxies as likely thick disc formation scenarios.

Key words: stars: abundances -- stars: distances -- Galaxy: abundances -- Galaxy: evolution -- Galaxy: solar neighbourhood -- Galaxy: kinematics and dynamics

Offprint request: A. Ibukiyama, aibukiya@optik.mtk.nao.ac.jp

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