On the metallicity dependence of the [Y/Mg]–age relation for solar-type stars

Abstract:
Several recent studies of solar twins in the solar neighbourhood have shown a tight correlation between various elemental abundances and age, in particular [Y/Mg]. If this relation is real and valid for other types of stars as well as elsewhere in the Galaxy, it would provide a very powerful tool to derive ages of stars without the need to resort to determining their masses (evolutionary stage) very precisely. The method would also likely work if the stellar parameters have relatively large errors. The studies presented in the recent literature span a narrow range of [Fe/H]. By studying a larger sample of solar neighbourhood dwarfs with a much larger range of [Fe/H], we find that the relation between [Y/Mg] and age depends on the [Fe/H] of the stars. Hence, it appears that the [Y/Mg]–age relation is unique to solar analogues.