The Chemical Evolution of Galaxies by Successive Starbursts

We propose an evolutionary scenario by successive bursts of star formation to reproduce the chemical properties of massive nearby Starburst Nucleus Galaxies (SBNGs). The N/O abundance ratios in SBNGs are ∼ 0.2 dex higher than in normal H II regions observed in the disks of late–type spirals. The variation of the N/O ratio as a function of metallicity follows a primary+secondary relation, but the increase of nitrogen does not appear as a continuous process. Assuming that nitrogen is produced by intermediate-mass stars, we show that our observations are consistent with a model where the bulk of nitrogen in SBNGs was formed during past sequences of bursts of star formation which probably started 2 or 3 Gyrs in the past.