We present the determination of stellar parameters and individual elemental abundances for 6 million stars from ∼8 million low-resolution (R ∼ 1800) spectra from LAMOST DR5. This is based on a modeling approach that we dub T he Data-Driven P ayne (DD-P ayne), which inherits essential ingredients from both The Payne (Ting et al. 2019) and T he Cannon (Ness et al. 2015). It is a data-driven model that incorporates constraints from theoretical spectral models to ensure the derived abundance estimates are physically sensible. Stars in LAMOST DR5 that are in common with either GALAH DR2 or APOGEE DR14 are used to train a model that delivers stellar parameters (T eff , log g, V mic ) and abundances for 16 elements (C, N, O, Na, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Ba) when applied to LAMOST spectra. Cross-validation and repeat observations suggest that, for S/N pix ≥ 50, the typical internal abundance precision is 0.03-0.1 dex for the majority of these elements, with 0.2-0.3 dex for Cu and Ba, and the internal precision of T eff and log g is better than 30 K and 0.07 dex, respectively. Abundance systematics at the ∼0.1 dex level are present in these estimates, but are inherited from the high-resolution surveys' training labels. For some elements, GALAH provides more robust training labels, for others, APOGEE. We provide flags to guide the quality of the label determination and to identify binary/multiple stars in LAMOST DR5. The abundance catalogs are publicly accessible via http://dr5.lamost.org/doc/vac.

We use deep narrowband CaHK (F395N) imaging taken with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to construct the metallicity distribution function (MDF) of Local Group ultra-faint dwarf galaxy Eridanus II (Eri II). When combined with archival F475W and F814W data, we measure metallicities for 60 resolved red giant branch stars as faint as m F475W ∼ 24 mag, a factor of ∼4× more stars than current spectroscopic MDF determinations. We find that Eri II has a mean metallicity of [Fe/H] = −2.50 − 0.07 + 0.07 and a dispersion of σ [ Fe / H ] = 0.42 − 0.06 + 0.06 , which are consistent with spectroscopic MDFs, though more precisely constrained owing to a larger sample. We identify a handful of extremely metal-poor star candidates (EMP; [Fe/H] < −3) that are marginally bright enough for spectroscopic follow-up. The MDF of Eri II appears well described by a leaky box chemical evolution model. We also compute an updated orbital history for Eri II using Gaia eDR3 proper motions, and find that it is likely on first infall into the Milky Way. Our findings suggest that Eri II underwent an evolutionary history similar to that of an isolated galaxy. Compared to MDFs for select cosmological simulations of similar mass galaxies, we find that Eri II has a lower fraction of stars with [Fe/H] < −3, though such comparisons should currently be treated with caution due to a paucity of simulations, selection effects, and known limitations of CaHK for EMPs. This study demonstrates the power of deep HST CaHK imaging for measuring the MDFs of UFDs.

Increasingly powerful and multiplexed spectroscopic facilities promise detailed chemical abundance patterns for millions of resolved stars in galaxies beyond the Milky Way (MW). Here, we employ the Cramér-Rao Lower Bound (CRLB) to forecast the precision to which stellar abundances for metal-poor, low-mass stars outside the MW can be measured for 41 current (e.g., Keck, MMT, VLT, DESI) and planned (e.g., MSE, JWST, ELTs) spectrograph configurations. We show that moderate resolution (R 5000) spectroscopy at blue-optical wavelengths (λ 4500 Å) (i) enables the recovery of 2-4 times as many elements as red-optical spectroscopy (5000 λ 10000 Å) at similar or higher resolutions (R ∼ 10000) and (ii) can constrain the abundances of several neutron capture elements to 0.3 dex. We further show that high-resolution (R 20000), low S/N (∼10 pixel −1 ) spectra contain rich abundance information when modeled with full spectral fitting techniques. We demonstrate that JWST/NIRSpec and ELTs can recover (i) ∼10 and 30 elements, respectively, for metal-poor red giants throughout the Local Group and (ii) [Fe/H] and [α/Fe] for resolved stars in galaxies out to several Mpc with modest integration times. We show that select literature abundances are within a factor of ∼2 (or better) of our CRLBs. We suggest that, like ETCs, CRLBs should be used when planning stellar spectroscopic observations. We include an open source python package, Chem-I-Calc, that allows users to compute CRLBs for spectrographs of their choosing.

We present novel constraints on the underlying galaxy formation physics (e.g., mass loading factor, star formation history, metal retention) at z 7 for the low-mass (M * ∼ 10 5 M ) Local Group ultra-faint dwarf galaxy (UFD) Eridanus II (Eri II). Using a hierarchical Bayesian framework, we apply a one-zone chemical evolution model to Eri II's CaHK-based photometric metallicity distribution function (MDF; [Fe/H]) and find that the evolution of Eri II is well-characterized by a short, exponentially declining star-formation history (τ SFH = 0.39± 0.18 0.13 Gyr), a low star-formation efficiency (τ SFE = 27.56± 25.14 12.92 Gyr), and a large mass-loading factor (η = 194.53± 33.37 42.67 ). Our results are consistent with Eri II forming the majority of its stars before the end of reionization. The large mass-loading factor is consistent with strong outflows in Eri II and is in good agreement with theoretical predictions for momentum-driven galactic winds. It also results in the ejection of >90% of the metals produced in Eri II. We make predictions for the distribution of [Mg/Fe]-[Fe/H] in Eri II as well as the prevalence of ultra metal-poor stars, both of which can be tested by future chemical abundance measurements. Spectroscopic follow-up of the highest metallicity stars in Eri II ([Fe/H] > −2) will greatly improve model constraints. Our new framework can readily be applied to all UFDs throughout the Local Group, providing new insights in to the underlying physics governing the evolution of the faintest galaxies in the reionization-era.

We characterize massive stars (M > 8 M ⊙) in the nearby (D ∼ 0.8 Mpc) extremely metal-poor (Z ∼ 5% Z ⊙) galaxy Leo A using Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet (UV), optical, and near-infrared (NIR) imaging along with Keck/Low-Resolution Imaging Spectrograph and MMT/Binospec optical spectroscopy for 18 main-sequence OB stars. We find that: (a) 12 of our 18 stars show emission lines, despite not being associated with an H ii region, suggestive of stellar activity (e.g., mass loss, accretion, binary star interaction), which is consistent with previous predictions of enhanced activity at low metallicity; (b) six are Be stars, which are the first to be spectroscopically studied at such low metallicity—these Be stars have unusual panchromatic SEDs; (c) for stars well fit by the TLUSTY nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium models, the photometric and spectroscopic values of log ( T eff ) and log ( g ) agree to within ∼0.01 dex and ∼0.18 dex, respectively, indicating that near-UV/optical/NIR imaging can be used to reliably characterize massive (M ∼ 8–30 M ⊙) main-sequence star properties relative to optical spectroscopy; (d) the properties of the most-massive stars in H II regions are consistent with constraints from previous nebular emission line studies; and (e) 13 stars with M > 8M ⊙ are >40 pc from a known star cluster or H II region. Our sample comprises ∼50% of all known massive stars at Z ≲ 10% Z ⊙with derived stellar parameters, high-quality optical spectra, and panchromatic photometry.