![Values of [O/Fe] versus [Fe/H] for the Large Magellanic Clouds red giant stars](https://gemini.edu/common/media/archives/images/thumb700x/geminiann02012b.jpg)
International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA
Values of [O/Fe] versus [Fe/H] for the Large Magellanic Clouds red giant stars
Values of [O/Fe] versus [Fe/H] for the Large Magellanic Clouds red giant stars, along with other samples of LMC and Galactic stars. The LMC samples indicate a trend of [O/Fe] that falls about 0.2 dex (factor of 1.6) below the Galactic trend. The oxygen to iron ratio is clearly lower in the LMC than in the Milky Way (for near solar global abundance levels). This suggests that the rate of type II supernovae (from stars more massive than 7 Msun) is 3 times lower and that the rate of type Ia supernovae (from low mass binary stars) is 2 times lower in the LMC than in the Milky Way.
