Basic Ingredients for Modeling Chemical Evolution

Abstract

In this chapter, we summarize the basic ingredients to compute galactic chemical evolution. In particular, the initial conditions, the star formation history or stellar birthrate function, the stellar yields (nucleosynthesis), and gas flows will be discussed. The most common recipes adopted in the literature for these ingredients will be summarized together with the related uncertainties. Relative to the stellar yields, we will present the nucleosynthesis calculations for stars of all masses, together with the most recent ideas about supernova (II, I) progenitors. The importance of gas flows and their observational evidence will be reviewed.