Abstract
We have performed a new empirical calibration of nebular abundances using the sulphur abundance parameter S23. This calibration is an alternative to the commonly used one based on the strong optical oxygen lines and presents several advantages. From the observational point of view, the lines are easily observable, both in low and high metallicity regions, and less affected by reddening. On the theoretical side, S23 remains singe-valued up to abundances close to solar and is rather independent of the degree of ionization of the nebula.
The application of this new metallicity calibration can provide more accurate abundance determinations for objects with logR23 between 0.5 and 1.2, i. e. oxygen abundances between 12+log(O/H)= 7.20 (≃ 0.02 times solar) and 12+log(O/H) = 8.80 (≃ 0.75 times solar). This is the range of metallicities found in HII galaxies and HII regions in irregular galaxies and outer galactic discs.
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© 1999 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Díaz, A.I., Pérez-Montero, E. (1999). Empirical Calibrations of Nebular Abundances: The Sulphur Abundance Parameter. In: Walsh, J.R., Rosa, M.R. (eds) Chemical Evolution from Zero to High Redshift. ESO Astrophysics Symposia. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-48360-1_31
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-48360-1_31
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