Metal Abundance in Young Elliptical Galaxies

We propose deep XMMNewton observations of young, postmerger ellipticalgalaxies. Because their L_X/L_B ratios are low among ellipticals and theirstellar populations are significantly metalenriched, these galaxies are thebest candidates to address the biggest unsolved problem of the Xray study ofelliptical galaxies: stellar vs ISM metal abundance discrepancy. Our data, inconjunction with the existing Chandra data will allow us to accurately determine Fe and alpha elements abundances and to confirm the presence or absence ofthe relation between L_X/L_B and the metallicity. We will then address variousevolutionary scenarios via metal enrichment history. truncated!, Please see actual data for full text [truncated!, Please see actual data for full text]