Galactic chemical evolution: Stellar yields and the initial mass function

Abstract

We present a set of 144 Galactic chemical evolution models applied to aMilkyWay analogue, computed using four sets of low+intermediate star nucleosynthetic yields, six massive star yield compilations, and six functional forms for the initial mass function. A comparison is made between a grid of multiphase chemical evolution models computed with these yield combinations and empirical data drawn from the MilkyWay's disc, including the solar neighbourhood. By means of a χ2 methodology, applied to the results of these multiphase models, the best combination of stellar yields and initial mass function capable of reproducing these observations is identified.