The Chemical Evolution of the Ursa Minor Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy

We present an abundance analysis based on high-resolution spectra of 10 stars selected to span the full range in metallicity in the Ursa Minor (UMi) dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy. We find that [Fe/H] for the sample stars ranges from –1.35 to –3.10 dex. Combining our sample with previously published work for a total of 16 luminous UMi giants, we establish the trends of abundance ratios [X/Fe] as functions of [Fe/H] for 15 elements. In key cases, particularly for the α-elements, these trends resemble those for stars in the outer part of the Galactic halo, especially at the lowest metallicities probed. The neutron-capture elements show an r-process distribution over the full range of Fe metallicity reached in this dSph galaxy. This suggests that the duration of star formation in the UMi dSph was shorter than in other dSph galaxies. The derived ages for a larger sample of UMi stars with more uncertain metallicities also suggest a population dominated by uniformly old (~13 Gyr) stars, with a hint of an age-metallicity relationship. Upon comparing our results for UMi, our earlier work in Draco, and published studies of more metal-rich dSph Galactic satellites, there appears to be a pattern of moving from a chemical inventory for dSph giants with [Fe/H] ≾ –2 dex, which is very similar to that of stars in the outer part of the Galactic halo (enhanced α/Fe relative to the Sun, coupled with subsolar [X/Fe] for the heavy neutron-capture elements and r-process domination), switching to subsolar α-elements and super-solar s-process-dominated neutron-capture elements for the highest [Fe/H] dSph stars. The combination of low star formation rates over a varying and sometimes extended duration that produced the stellar populations in the local dSph galaxies with [Fe/H] > – 1.5 dex leads to a chemical inventory wildly discrepant from that of any component of the Milky Way. We note the presence of two UMi giants with [Fe/H] < –3.0 dex in our sample and reaffirm that the inner Galactic halo could have been formed by early accretion of Galactic satellite galaxies and dissolution of young globular clusters, while the outer halo could have formed from those satellite galaxies that accreted somewhat later