Professor Stephen Smartt CBE FRS MRIA

Abstract:

Half hour exposures using the ESO VLT/FORS1 combination at Parañal in Chile have allowed us to obtain spectra for three B supergiants in the dwarf irregular galaxy NGC 6822. The spectra have been analysed using non-LTE techniques and temperatures, gravities, helium content and abundances have been obtained. Overall the metallicity of NGC 6822 is found to lie between that of the LMC and of the SMC, in agreement with previous observations of H II regions and in contrast to the earlier findings of Massey et al. (1995). The analysis of Hα yields estimates of the mass-loss rates and wind momenta. These results demonstrate that significantly longer exposures with the same instruments will allow us to perform quantitative spectroscopy of blue supergiants in galaxies far beyond the Local Group.