Abundances in 53 HII regions

This data set spans a wide range in metallicity (Z_{sun}_/60<Z<Z_{sun}_/3) and, combined with the sample of 47 HII regions from Guseva et al. (2006ApJ...644..890G), yields the largest spectroscopic data set ever used to derive the electron temperature in the H^+^ zone.

In the same way as in Guseva et al. (2006ApJ...644..890G) we have used a Monte Carlo technique to vary free parameters and to calculate a series of model spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for each HII region. The electron temperature in the H^+^ zones was derived from the best fitting synthetic and observed SEDs in the wavelength range ~3200-5100{AA}, which includes the Balmer jump. On the base of the present large spectroscopic sample we find that in hot (Te(H^+^)>11000K) HII regions the temperature of the O^2+^ zone, determined from doubly ionised oxygen forbidden lines, does not differ statistically from the temperature of the H^+^ zone.