Deriving the abundance distribution of HII galaxies using sulphur as tracer: Exploring the high-metallicity end

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Main Authors: Gavilán, Marta, Díaz, Ángeles I., Zamora, Sandra
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Gavilán, Marta
Díaz, Ángeles I.
Zamora, Sandra
author_facet Gavilán, Marta
Díaz, Ángeles I.
Zamora, Sandra
contents The main objective of this work is to derive the distribution of the the metal content of HII galaxies using sulphur as an abundance tracer. This increases the metallicity range that can safely be reached. We selected a sample of emission-line galaxies that we extracted from the SDSS-DR16. These objects have a redshift of z less than 0.04 so that the [SIII] 9069 A emission line and H beta equivalent widths that are higher than 10 A in emission were included, and they are compact in appearance. We used the so-called direct method for objects with the electron-temperature-sensitive [SIII] 6312 A emission line, and an empirical method based on the S23 parameter. The last provided an abundance calibration that monotonically increased up to at least the solar value, and can be applied based on the spectral range from 6000 to 9500 A alone. We show that the bias that is introduced when the [OIII] 4363 A line is required restricts the sample to objects with an [OIII] electron temperature higher than 10,000K, and their temperature distribution is then rather narrow. For objects with determinations of te [SIII], the distribution is flatter and wider, which fits a more realistic scenario better. For the objects in the sample that required the detection of the [OIII] 4363 A line and [SIII] 6312 A, the distribution abundances as traced directly by oxygen and sulphur appear to be very similar to each other. However, when the restriction for weak temperature-sensitive lines is relaxed, the abundance distribution is wider . In summary, the abundance distributions traced by sulphur can reach reliable abundances up to the solar value at least and provide a more complete picture of the metallicity distribution of HII galaxies.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_07510
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Deriving the abundance distribution of HII galaxies using sulphur as tracer: Exploring the high-metallicity end
Gavilán, Marta
Díaz, Ángeles I.
Zamora, Sandra
Astrophysics of Galaxies
The main objective of this work is to derive the distribution of the the metal content of HII galaxies using sulphur as an abundance tracer. This increases the metallicity range that can safely be reached. We selected a sample of emission-line galaxies that we extracted from the SDSS-DR16. These objects have a redshift of z less than 0.04 so that the [SIII] 9069 A emission line and H beta equivalent widths that are higher than 10 A in emission were included, and they are compact in appearance. We used the so-called direct method for objects with the electron-temperature-sensitive [SIII] 6312 A emission line, and an empirical method based on the S23 parameter. The last provided an abundance calibration that monotonically increased up to at least the solar value, and can be applied based on the spectral range from 6000 to 9500 A alone. We show that the bias that is introduced when the [OIII] 4363 A line is required restricts the sample to objects with an [OIII] electron temperature higher than 10,000K, and their temperature distribution is then rather narrow. For objects with determinations of te [SIII], the distribution is flatter and wider, which fits a more realistic scenario better. For the objects in the sample that required the detection of the [OIII] 4363 A line and [SIII] 6312 A, the distribution abundances as traced directly by oxygen and sulphur appear to be very similar to each other. However, when the restriction for weak temperature-sensitive lines is relaxed, the abundance distribution is wider . In summary, the abundance distributions traced by sulphur can reach reliable abundances up to the solar value at least and provide a more complete picture of the metallicity distribution of HII galaxies.
title Deriving the abundance distribution of HII galaxies using sulphur as tracer: Exploring the high-metallicity end
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.07510