  The metallicity distribution in the intracluster medium of the NGC 5044 group
was studied up to 0.3 r_180 using the XIS instrument on board the Suzaku
satellite. Abundances of O, Mg, Si, S, and Fe were measured with high accuracy.
The region within a radius of 0.05 r_180 from the center shows approximately
solar abundances of Mg, Si, S, and Fe, while the O/Fe ratio is about 0.5--0.6
in solar units. In the outer region, the Fe abundance gradually drops to 0.3
solar. Radial abundance profiles of Mg, Si and S are similar to that of Fe,
while that of O seems to be flatter. At r>0.05 r_180, the mass density profile
of O differs from that of Fe, showing a shoulder-like structure that traces the
luminosity density profile of galaxies. The mass-to-light ratios for O and Fe
in NGC 5044 are one of the largest among groups of galaxies, but they are still
smaller than those in rich clusters. These abundance features probably reflect
the metal enrichment history of this relaxed group hosting a giant elliptical
galaxy in the center.
