We have obtained deep multi-object optical spectra of 49 HII regions in the outer disk of the spiral galaxy M83 (=NGC 5236) with the FORS2 spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope.

The targets span the range in galactocentric distance between 0.64 and 2.64 times the R25 isophotal radius (5.4-22.3 kpc), and 31 of them are located at R>R25, thus belonging to the extreme outer disk of the galaxy, populated by UV complexes revealed recently by the GALEX satellite.

Recent research

The flat oxygen abundance gradient in the extended disk of M83

F. Bresolin, E. Ryan-Weber, R. Kennicutt & Q. Goddard

(preprint.pdf)

In order to derive the nebular chemical abundances, we apply several diagnostics of the oxygen abundance, including R23, [NII]/[OII] and the [OIII]4363 auroral line, which was detected in four HII regions.

We find that, while inwards of the optical edge the O/H ratio follows the radial gradient known from previous investigations, the outer abundance trend flattens out to an approximately constant value. The latter varies, according to the adopted diagnostic, between 12+log(O/H)=8.2 and 12+log(O/H)=8.6 (i.e. from approximately 1/3 the solar oxygen abundance to nearly the solar value).

An abrupt discontinuity in the radial oxygen abundance trend is also detected near the optical edge of the disk. These results are tentatively linked to the flat gas surface density in the outskirts of the galaxy, the relatively unevolved state of the extended disk of M83, and the redistribution of chemically enriched gas following a past galaxy encounter.

Distribution of the four fields in which the multi-object spectroscopy has been carried out. Each field is  6.8 x 6.8 arcmin wide. The image is a composite of GALEX and Halpha data, with UV-bright knots appearing in blue, and HII regions in red.

The positions of the northern field HII regions shown as  squares on the GALEX image of M83, and labeled with their 12+log(O/H) values, obtained from [NII]/[OII] and from N2 (in brackets). The nucleus of the galaxy appears at the bottom. The dashed curve represents the R25 radius.