Far-Infrared Abundance Measurements in the Outer Galaxy

Five H II regions at large distances from the center of the Galaxy (R = 13-17 kpc) have been observed in the far-IR emission lines of [O III] (52 and 88 μm), [N III] (57 μm), and [S III] (19 μm) using the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. These observations have been combined with Very Large Array radio continuum observations of these sources to determine the abundances of O⁺⁺, N⁺⁺, and S⁺⁺ relative to hydrogen. A simple ionization correction scheme has been used to determine the total abundances of nitrogen and sulfur relative to hydrogen, as well as the relative abundance N/O. For the two sources in common with previous optical studies (S127 and S128), we find good agreement between the far-infrared and optical determinations of N/H, S/H, and N/O.

Our results from the outer Galaxy have been combined with previous far-infrared results to determine the abundance gradient of these elements in the Milky Way over a range of Galactocentric radii from R = 0 to R = 17 kpc. Our results are consistent with a gradient of log N/H = -0.111 +/- 0.012 dex kpc^-1 and a gradient of log S/H = -0.079 +/- 0.009 dex kpc^-1. Our method is not able to determine independently the abundances of both S and O, although other evidence suggests that the O/S ratio is approximately constant. While these results differ from recent optical studies, which suggest that these abundance gradients flatten in the outer Galaxy, we do not yet have sufficient data to rule out such a change in the gradient. The log N/O data are better fitted by a two-step function with a value of -0.50 +/- 0.02 for R < 6.2 kpc and -0.83 +/- 0.04 for R > 6.2 kpc. Both of these values are consistent with secondary production of nitrogen. However, the outer Galaxy oxygen abundances are in the low abundance regime where nitrogen is expected to be produced by primary processes.