{
  "abstract": "Massive quiescent galaxies (MQGs; $M_\\star \\sim 10^{11} \\, \\mathrm{M_\\odot}$) at cosmic noon ($z \\sim 2$) host $α$-enhanced stellar populations ($\\mathrm{[Mg/Fe]} \\sim 0.4 - 0.5$) at near-solar [Fe/H], implying rapid formation histories that spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting alone constrains poorly. To determine the physical conditions and formation timescales that generate these abundances, we employ a one-zone chemical evolution model with nucleosynthetic yields calibrated against resolved stars in the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal. Comparing our model to a compilation of observed abundances, we find MQGs are consistent with rapid formation timescales of $Δt_\\mathrm{SF} \\sim 0.1 - 0.4 \\, \\mathrm{Gyr}$. The progenitors must sustain high star-formation efficiencies (approximately the molecular gas depletion time; $τ_\\star \\sim 0.05 \\, \\mathrm{Gyr}$) and retain most of their metal-enriched ejecta ($η\\sim 0$), consistent with high-redshift dusty star-forming galaxies (DSFGs). However, our model favours moderately active progenitors with typical star-formation rates (SFRs) of $200-400 \\, \\mathrm{M_\\odot \\, yr^{-1}}$, matching recently identified `NIRCam-dark' galaxies more closely than the broader DSFG population. Sustained starbursts ($\\mathrm{SFR} \\gtrsim 1000 \\, \\mathrm{M_\\odot \\, yr}^{-1}$) are disfavoured, since they would form most stellar mass before significant SN Ia enrichment and underproduce the observed [Fe/H]. The same framework also reproduces the central abundances of local early-type galaxies over longer timescales ($Δt_\\mathrm{SF} \\sim 0.6 - 1 \\, \\mathrm{Gyr}$). Chemical abundances can therefore provide powerful constraints on the formation histories of MQGs, and incorporating them into SED-fitting routines will ensure inferred histories remain consistent with the observed chemistry.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2610.34883",
  "author_total": 6,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Patrick N. O'Connor"
    },
    {
      "name": "J. Trevor Mendel"
    },
    {
      "name": "Sven Buder"
    },
    {
      "name": "Melissa K. Ness"
    },
    {
      "name": "Claudia del P. Lagos"
    },
    {
      "name": "Arjen van der Wel"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dxqy6kh2d68w4.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.48550/arxiv.2610.34883",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "dxqy6kh2d68w4",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.34883",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": "CC0-1.0",
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "arxiv",
      "astro-ph.GA"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3103|Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223860624",
  "pdf_url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/2610.34883",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-26",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dxqy6kh2d68w4.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:35:35Z",
      "native_id": "2610.34883",
      "source": "arxiv",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.34883"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "astronomy",
      "origin": "arxiv:astro-ph.GA",
      "subfield": "galaxies"
    }
  ],
  "title": "How Quickly Did the Giants Form? Constraining the Formation Timescales of Massive Quiescent Galaxies at Cosmic Noon Using Chemical Evolution Modelling",
  "title_text": "How Quickly Did the Giants Form? Constraining the Formation Timescales of Massive Quiescent Galaxies at Cosmic Noon Using Chemical Evolution Modelling",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:35:35Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/dxqy6kh2d68w4",
  "venue": "arXiv",
  "versions": []
}