Carnegie Observatories Colloquium

Dwarf galaxies in the Local Group are good testing grounds for chemical evolution models.  First, they are simple, usually short-lived systems. Second, they are near enough for resolved stellar spectroscopy.  Multi-object spectrographs, like Keck/DEIMOS, have allowed the chemical characterization of thousands of stars in dwarf galaxies. The lighter elements like lithium and carbon, are windows into stellar evolution. The heavier alpha elements, like magnesium and calcium, trace galactic evolution. I will show DEIMOS measurements of several elements in eight dwarf galaxies.  The results will illuminate some mysteries about unexplained mixing processes on the red giant branch as well as the broader chemical evolution of the galaxies over hundreds of millions of years.