  In this work we investigate the stellar population, metallicity distribution
and ionized gas in the elliptical galaxy NGC 5044, using long-slit spectroscopy
and a stellar population synthesis method. We found differences in the slope of
metal-line profiles along the galaxy which suggests an enhancement of alpha
elements, particularly towards the central region. The presence of a
non-thermal ionization source, such as a low-luminosity AGN and/or shock
ionization, is implied by the large values of the ratio (N II])Ha observed in
all sampled regions. However, the emission lines observed in the external
regions indicate the presence of an additional ionization source, probably hot,
post-AGB stars.
