Recent star formation episodes in the Galaxy: Impact on its chemical properties and the evolution of its abundance gradient

Aims . We investigate the chemical evolution of the Milky Way disc exploring various schemes of recent (past several Gyr) star formation episodes, as reported in recent observational works. Methods . We used a semi-analytical model with parametrized radial migration, and we introduced Gaussian star formation episodes constrained by the recent observations. Results . We find significant impact from the star formation episodes on several observables, including the local age–metallicity and [ α /Fe] versus metallicity relations, as well as the local stellar metallicity distribution and the existence of young [ α /Fe] -rich stars. Moreover, we show that the recently found ‘wiggly’ behaviour of the disc abundance gradient with age can be interpreted in terms of either star formation or infall episodes.