Chemical Abundances in the Local Group: Where Are We Going Next?

Abstract

Spectacular advances in the volume, the precision, and the accuracy of chemical abundance data for stars in many environments are now being delivered. Corresponding kinematic data are starting to appear, while the essential distances and calibrations await GAIA, still a decade away. Quantitative galaxy models with high spatial resolution are being developed. How do we use these data and models? Applications to calibrate the input functions to chemical evolution models are underway, such as supernova and AGB yields. The more basic question, what are the dominant processes in Galaxy formation and evolution, remains as a challenge: our goal is to identify the failings of the models, and make progress. Many specific areas of potential progress are now clear, ranging from the true age and abundance distribution in the Galactic Bulge, through the origin of the old thick disk, to the accretion history of the outer halo. Since the technology is new, most effort is still being devoted to the observationally easiest questions: all questions require massive surveys to address them. Many such surveys are underway: progress will be rapid, if well-focussed.