Detalles de publicación

PP 017096

Red Supergiants as Cosmic Abundance Probes: massive star clusters in M83, and the mass-metallicity relation of nearby galaxies

Ben Davies, Rolf-Peter Kudritzki, Carmela Lardo, Maria Bergemann, Emma Beasor, Bertrand Plez, Chris Evans, Nate Bastian, Lee R. Patrick
(1) Astrophysics Research Institute, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool Science Park ic2, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L3 5RF, UK. (2) Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA (3) Laboratoire d'astrophysique, Ecole Polytechnique F ́eed ́erale de Lausanne (EPFL), Observatoire, 1290, Versoix, Switzerland (4)Max-Planck Institute for Astronomy, 69117, Heidelberg, Germany (5)Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier, Universit ́e de Montpellier 2, CNRS, F-34095 Montpellier, France (6) UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Royal Observatory Edinburgh, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh., EH9 3HJ, UK (7) Instituto de Astrofsica de Canarias, E-38205 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Universidad de La Laguna, Dpto Astrofsica, E-38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain and (8) Institute for Astronomy, Royal Observatory Edinburgh, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh., EH9 3HJ, UK
We present an abundance analysis of seven super-star clusters in the disk of M83. The near-infrared spectra of these clusters are dominated by Red Supergiants, and the spectral similarity in the J-band of such stars at uniform metallicity means that the integrated light from the clusters may be analysed using the same tools as those applied to single stars. Using data from VLT/KMOS we estimate metallicities for each cluster in the sample. We find that the abundance gradient in the inner regions of M83 is flat, with a central metallicity of [Z] = 0.21$\pm$0.11 relative to a Solar value of $Z_\odot$=0.014, which is in excellent agreement with the results from an analysis of luminous hot stars in the same regions. Compiling this latest study with our other recent work, we construct a mass-metallicity relation for nearby galaxies based entirely on the analysis of RSGs. We find excellent agreement with the other stellar-based technique, that of blue supergiants, as well as with temperature-sensitive (`auroral' or `direct') \hii-region studies. Of all the HII-region strong-line calibrations, those which are empirically calibrated to direct-method studies (N2 and O3N2) provide the most consistent results.

 
Aceptado para publicación en ApJ | Enviado el 2017-09-25 | Proyecto P/309808