No Arabic abstract
We have re-evaluated empirical expressions for the abundance determination of N, O, Ne, S, Cl, Ar and Fe taking into account the latest atomic data and constructing an appropriate grid of photoionization models with state-of-the art model atmospheres. Using these expressions we have derived heavy element abundances in the $sim$ 310 emission-line galaxies from the Data Release 3 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)with an observed Hbeta flux F(Hbeta)> 1E-14 erg s^{-1} cm^{-2} and for which the [O III] 4363 emission line was detected at least at a 2sigma level, allowing abundance determination by direct methods. The oxygen abundance 12 + log O/H of the SDSS galaxies lies in the range from ~ 7.1 (Zsun/30) to 8.5 (0.7 Zsun). The SDSS sample is merged with a sample of 109 blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxies with high quality spectra, which contains extremely low-metallicity objects. We use the merged sample to study the abundance patterns of low-metallicity emission-line galaxies. We find that extremely metal-poor galaxies (12 + log O/H < 7.6, i.e. Z < Zsun/12) are rare in the SDSS sample. The alpha element-to-oxygen abundance ratios do not show any significant trends with oxygen abundance, in agreement with previous studies, except for a slight increase of Ne/O with increasing metallicity, which we interpret as due to a moderate depletion of O onto grains in the most metal-rich galaxies. The Fe/O abundance ratio is smaller than the solar value, by up to 1 dex at the high metallicity end. (abridged)
We present spectroscopic observations with the 3.6m ESO telescope of two emission-line galaxies, J2104-0035 and J0113+0052, selected from the Data Release 4 (DR4) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). From our data we determine the oxygen abundance of these systems to be respectively 12+logO/H = 7.26+/-0.03 and 7.17+/-0.09, making them the two most metal-deficient galaxies found thus far in the SDSS and placing them among the five most metal-deficient emission-line galaxies ever discovered. Their oxygen abundances are close to those of the two most metal-deficient emission-line galaxies known, SBS0335-052W with 12+logO/H = 7.12+/-0.03 and I Zw 18 with 12+logO/H = 7.17+/-0.01.
We present 6.5-meter MMT spectrophotometry of 20 H II regions in 13 extremely metal-poor emission-line galaxies selected from the Data Release 5 of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey to have [O III] 4959/Hbeta < 1 and [N II] 6583/Hbeta < 0.05. The electron temperature-sensitive emission line [O III] 4363 is detected in 13 H II regions allowing a direct abundance determination. The oxygen abundance in the remaining H II regions is derived using a semi-empirical method. The oxygen abundance of the galaxies in our sample ranges from 12+logO/H ~ 7.1 to ~ 7.8, with 10 H II regions having an oxygen abundance lower than 7.5. The lowest oxygen abundances, 12+logO/H = 7.14+/-0.03 and 7.13+/-0.07, are found in two H II regions of the blue compact dwarf galaxy SDSSJ0956+2849=DDO 68, making it the second most-metal deficient emission-line galaxy known, after SBS 0335-052W.
We have derived element abundances in 310 emission-line galaxies from the Early Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) for which the [O {sc iii}] 4363 emission line was detected, allowing abundance determination by direct methods. We found no extremely metal-deficient galaxy (Z<Zsun/12), probably as a consequence of selection effects in the SDSS sample. The oxygen abundance 12 + log O/H of the SDSS galaxies sample lies in the range from ~7.6 (Zsun/12) to ~8.4 (Zsun/2). This sample is merged with a sample of ~100 blue compact dwarf galaxies with high quality spectra containing some very low-metallicity objects to study the abundance patterns of low-metallicity emission-line galaxies. We find that the $alpha$ element-to-oxygen abundance ratios do not show any significant trends with the oxygen abundance, in agreement with previous studies. The Fe/O abundance ratio is smaller than the solar value, which we interpret as an indication that type Ia supernovae have not yet appeared in these galaxies, implying an age of less than 1-2 Gyr. However, a slight decrease of the Fe/O abundance ratio with increasing metallicity suggests some depletion of iron onto dust in the galaxies with higher metallicities. The N/O abundance ratio ranges from log N/O= -1.6 to -0.8. The fact that no galaxy with log N/O < -1.6 was discovered implies that local low-metallicity emission-line galaxies are of a different nature than high-redshift damped Lyalpha systems with log N/O of ~-2.3 and that their ages are probably larger than 100-300 Myr. Our data indicate the existence of a gradual nitrogen enrichment on a time-scale of a few Myr.
This paper describes the Seventh Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), marking the completion of the original goals of the SDSS and the end of the phase known as SDSS-II. It includes 11663 deg^2 of imaging data, with most of the roughly 2000 deg^2 increment over the previous data release lying in regions of low Galactic latitude. The catalog contains five-band photometry for 357 million distinct objects. The survey also includes repeat photometry over 250 deg^2 along the Celestial Equator in the Southern Galactic Cap. A coaddition of these data goes roughly two magnitudes fainter than the main survey. The spectroscopy is now complete over a contiguous area of 7500 deg^2 in the Northern Galactic Cap, closing the gap that was present in previous data releases. There are over 1.6 million spectra in total, including 930,000 galaxies, 120,000 quasars, and 460,000 stars. The data release includes improved stellar photometry at low Galactic latitude. The astrometry has all been recalibrated with the second version of the USNO CCD Astrograph Catalog (UCAC-2), reducing the rms statistical errors at the bright end to 45 milli-arcseconds per coordinate. A systematic error in bright galaxy photometr is less severe than previously reported for the majority of galaxies. Finally, we describe a series of improvements to the spectroscopic reductions, including better flat-fielding and improved wavelength calibration at the blue end, better processing of objects with extremely strong narrow emission lines, and an improved determination of stellar metallicities. (Abridged)
This paper describes the Third Data Release of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). This release, containing data taken up through June 2003, includes imaging data in five bands over 5282 deg^2, photometric and astrometric catalogs of the 141 million objects detected in these imaging data, and spectra of 528,640 objects selected over 4188 deg^2. The pipelines analyzing both images and spectroscopy are unchanged from those used in our Second Data Release.