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Abstract We present a full-spectrum-fitting analysis of the central kinematics and chemistry of the Andromeda dwarf satellite galaxies M32 and M110. We use an Markov Chain Monte Carlo routine to fit high-resolution, near-infrared, integrated-light spectra from APOGEE with empirical simple stellar population templates constructed from individual APOGEE stellar spectra. This yields the best-fitting mean radial velocity, velocity dispersion, metallicity,αabundance, and age for each spectrum. In general, our results are consistent with literature values where available, and we explore possible reasons where offsets are measured. This study was presented in a poster at the 243rd meeting of the American Astronomical Society in 2024 January. 

Abstract We present an analysis of nearly 1000 near-infrared, integrated-light spectra from APOGEE in the inner ∼7 kpc of M31. We utilize full-spectrum fitting with A-LIST simple stellar population spectral templates that represent a population of stars with the same age, [M/H], and [α/M]. With this, we determine the mean kinematics, metallicities,αabundances, and ages of the stellar populations of M31's bar, bulge, and inner disk (∼4–7 kpc). We find a nonaxisymmetric velocity field in M31 resulting from the presence of a bar. The bulge of M31 is less metal-rich (mean [M/H] = $-{0.149}_{-0.081}^{+0.067}$dex) than the disk, features minima in metallicity on either side of the bar ([M/H] ∼ −0.2), and is enhanced inαabundance (mean [α/M] = ${0.281}_{-0.038}^{+0.035}$). The disk of M31 within ∼7 kpc is enhanced in both metallicity ([M/H] = $-{0.023}_{-0.052}^{+0.050}$) andαabundance ([α/M] = ${0.274}_{-0.025}^{+0.020}$). Both of these structural components are uniformly old at ≃12 Gyr. We find the mean metallicity increases with distance from the center of M31, with the steepest gradient along the disk major axis (0.043 ± 0.021 dex kpc⁻¹). This gradient is the result of changing light contributions from the bulge and disk. The chemodynamics of stellar populations encodes information about a galaxy’s chemical enrichment, star formation history, and merger history, allowing us to discuss new constraints on M31's formation. Our results provide a stepping stone between our understanding of the Milky Way and other external galaxies.