Flux-weighted Gravity-luminosity Relationship Research Articles

The Hubble Constant Anchor Galaxy NGC 4258: Metallicity and Distance from Blue Supergiants

A quantitative spectroscopic study of blue supergiant stars in the Hubble constant anchor galaxy NGC 4258 is presented. The non-LTE analysis of Keck I telescope LRIS spectra yields a central logarithmic metallicity (in units of the solar value) of [Z] = −0.05 ± 0.05 and a very shallow gradient of −(0.09 ± 0.11) r/r 25 with respect to galactocentric distance in units of the isophotal radius. Good agreement with the mass–metallicity relationship of star-forming galaxies based on stellar absorption line studies is found. A comparison with H ii region oxygen abundances obtained from the analysis of strong emission lines shows reasonable agreement when the M. Pettini & B. E. J. Pagel calibration is used, while the D. Zaritsky et al. calibration yields values that are 0.2–0.3 dex larger. These results allow us to put the metallicity calibration of the Cepheid period–luminosity relation in this anchor galaxy on a purely stellar basis. Interstellar reddening and extinction are determined using Hubble Space Telescope and JWST photometry. Based on extinction-corrected magnitudes, combined with the stellar effective temperatures and gravities we determine, we use the flux-weighted gravity–luminosity relationship to estimate an independent spectroscopic distance. We obtain a distance modulus m − M = 29.38 ± 0.12 mag, in agreement with the geometrical distance derived from the analysis of the water maser orbits in the galaxy’s central circumnuclear disk.

The Metallicity and Distance of Leo A from Blue Supergiants

We have obtained high-quality spectra of blue supergiant candidates in the dwarf irregular galaxy Leo A with the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrometer at the Keck I telescope. From the quantitative analysis of seven B8–A0 stars, we derive a mean metallicity [Z] = −1.35 ± 0.08, in excellent agreement with the gas-phase chemical abundance. From the stellar parameters and the flux-weighted gravity–luminosity relation (FGLR), we derive a spectroscopic distance modulus m − M = 24.77 ± 0.11 mag, significantly larger (∼0.4 mag) than the value indicated by RR Lyrae and other stellar indicators. We explain the bulk of this discrepancy with blue loop stellar evolution at very low metallicity and show that the combination of metallicity effects and blue loop evolution amounts, in the case of Leo A, to an ∼0.35 mag offset of the FGLR to fainter bolometric luminosities. We identify one outlier of low bolometric magnitude as a post-AGB star. Its metallicity is consistent with that of the young population, confirming the slow chemical enrichment of Leo A.

A Spectroscopic Study of Blue Supergiant Stars in Local Group Spiral Galaxies: Andromeda and Triangulum

Low-resolution LAMOST and Keck spectra of blue supergiant stars distributed over the disks of the Local Group spiral galaxies M31 and M33 are analyzed to determine stellar effective temperatures, gravities, metallicities, and reddening. Logarithmic metallicities at the center of the galaxies (in solar units) of 0.30 ± 0.09 and 0.11 ± 0.04 and metallicity gradients of −0.37 ± 0.13 dex/R 25 and −0.36 ± 0.16 dex/R 25 are measured for M31 and M33, respectively. For M33 the 2D distribution of metallicity indicates a deviation from azimuthal symmetry with an off-center peak. The flux-weighted gravity−luminosity relationship (FGLR) of blue supergiant stars is used to determine a distance modulus of 24.51 ± 0.13 mag for M31 and 24.93 ± 0.07 mag for M33. For M31 the FGLR distance agrees well with other methods. For M33 the FGLR-based distance is larger than the distances from Cepheids studies, but it is in good agreement with work on eclipsing binaries, planetary nebulae, long-period variables, and the tip of the red giant branch.

MUSE crowded field 3D spectroscopy in NGC 300

Aims.A quantitative spectral analysis of BA-type supergiants and bright giants in an inner spiral arm region of the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 300 is presented, based on observations with the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) on the European Southern Obsevatory, Very Large Telescope. The flux-weighted gravity–luminosity relationship (FGLR), a stellar spectroscopic distance determination method for galaxies, is extended towards stars at lower luminosities.Methods.Point spread function fitting 3D spectroscopy was performed with PampelMUSE on the datacube. The 16 stars with the highest signal-to-noise ratios are classified with regard to their spectral type and luminosity class using Galactic templates. They were analysed using hybrid non-local thermodynamic equilibrium model spectra to fit the strongest observed hydrogen, helium, and metal lines in the intermediate-resolution spectra. Supplemented by photometric data, this facilitates fundamental stellar parameters and interstellar reddening which have yet to be determined.Results.Effective temperatures, surface gravities, reddeningE(B−V), bolometric magnitudes and luminosities, as well as radii and masses are presented for the sample stars. The majority of the objects follow the FGLR as established from more luminous BA-type supergiants in NGC 300. An increase in the scatter in the flux-weighted gravity–luminosity plane is observed at these lower luminosities, which is in line with predictions from population synthesis models.

Modified Gravity and the Flux-weighted Gravity–Luminosity Relationship of Blue Supergiant Stars

Abstract We calculate models of stellar evolution for very massive stars and include the effects of modified gravity to investigate the influence on the physical properties of blue supergiant stars and their use as extragalactic distance indicators. With shielding and fifth force parameters in a similar range as those in previous studies of Cepheid and tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) stars, we find clear effects on stellar luminosity and flux-weighted gravity. The relationship between flux-weighted gravity, g F ≡ g/ , and bolometric magnitude M bol, which has been used successfully for accurate distance determinations, is systematically affected. While the stellar evolution of flux-weighted gravity–luminosity relationships (FGLRs) show a systematic offset from the observed relation, we can use the differential shifts between models with Newtonian and modified gravity to estimate the influence on FGLR distance determinations. Modified gravity leads to an increase in distance of 0.05–0.15 magnitudes in distance modulus. These changes are comparable to the ones found for Cepheid stars. We compare observed FGLR and TRGB distances of nine galaxies to constrain the free parameters of modified gravity. Not accounting for systematic differences between TRGB and FGLR distances shielding parameters of 5 × 10−7 and 10−6 and fifth force parameters of 1/3 and 1 can be ruled out with about 90% confidence. Allowing for potential systematic offsets between TRGB and FGLR distances no determination is possible for a shielding parameter of 10−6. For 5 × 10−7 a fifth force parameter of 1 can be ruled out to 92% but 1/3 is unlikely only to 60%.

The flux-weighted gravity-luminosity relation of Galactic classical Cepheids

The flux-weighted gravity-luminosity relation (FWGLR) is investigated for a sample of 477 classical Cepheids (CCs), including stars that have been classified in the literature as such but are probably not. The luminosities are taken from the literature, based on the fitting of the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) assuming a certain distance and reddening. The flux-weighted gravity (FWG) is taken from gravity and effective temperature determinations in the literature based on high-resolution spectroscopy. There is a very good agreement between the theoretically predicted and observed FWG versus pulsation period relation that could serve in estimating the FWG (and log g) in spectroscopic studies with a precision of 0.1 dex. As was known in the literature, the theoretically predicted FWGLR relation for CCs is very tight and is not very sensitive to metallicity (at least for LMC and solar values), rotation rate, and crossing of the instability strip. The observed relation has a slightly different slope and shows more scatter (0.54 dex). This is due both to uncertainties in the distances and to the pulsation phase averaged FWG values. Data from future Gaia data releases should reduce these errors, and then the FWGLR could serve as a powerful tool in Cepheid studies.

A Simple Unified Spectroscopic Indicator of Stellar Luminosity: The Extended Flux-weighted Gravity–Luminosity Relationship

Abstract We show that for a wide range of stellar masses, from 0.3 to 20 M ⊙, and for evolutionary phases from the main sequence to the beginning of the red giant stage, the stellar flux-weighted gravity, g F ≡ g/ , is tightly correlated with absolute bolometric magnitude . Such a correlation is predicted by stellar evolution theory. We confirm this relation observationally, using a sample of 445 stars with precise stellar parameters. It holds over 17 stellar magnitudes from = 9.0 to −8.0 mag with a scatter of 0.17 mag above = −3.0 and 0.29 mag below this value. We then test the relation with 2.2 million stars with 6.5 mag ≥ ≥ 0.5 mag, where “mass-produced” but robust , and from LAMOST DR5 and Gaia DR2 are available. We find that the same relation holds with a scatter of ∼0.2 mag for single stars offering a simple spectroscopic distance estimate good to ∼10%.

Impact of binary interaction on the evolution of blue supergiants

A large fraction of massive stars evolve in interacting binary systems, which dramatically modifies the outcome of stellar evolution. We investigated the properties of blue supergiants in binary systems and whether they are suitable for extragalactic distance determinations using the flux-weighted gravity luminosity relationship (FGLR). This is a relationship between the absolute bolometric magnitude Mbol and the spectroscopically determined flux-weighted gravity gF = g/T4eff, where g is the surface gravity and Teff is the effective temperature. We computed a grid of binary stellar evolution models with MESA and use the v2.1 BPASS models to examine whether they are compatible with the relatively small scatter shown by the observed relationship. Our models have initial primary masses of 9–30 M⊙, initial orbital periods of 10–2511 days, mass ratio q = 0.9, and metallicity Z = 0.02. We find that the majority of primary stars that produce blue supergiant stages are consistent with the observed FGLR, with a small offset towards brighter bolometric magnitudes. In between 1%–24% of cases, binary evolution may produce blue supergiants after a mass transfer episode, that lie below the observed FGLR. A very small number of such stars have been found in extragalactic FGLR studies, suggesting that they may have evolved through binary interaction. Some models with shorter periods could resemble blue hypergiants and luminous blue variables. We used CMFGEN radiative transfer models to investigate the effects of unresolved secondaries on diagnostics for Teff and g, and the biases on the determination of interstellar reddening and Mbol. We find that the effects are small and within the observed scatter, but could lead to a small overestimate of the luminosity, of Teff and of g for extreme cases. We conclude that the observed FGLR can, in principle, be well reproduced by close binary evolution models. We outline directions for future work, including rotation and binary population synthesis techniques.

LMC Blue Supergiant Stars and the Calibration of the Flux-weighted Gravity–Luminosity Relationship

Abstract High-quality spectra of 90 blue supergiant stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud are analyzed with respect to effective temperature, gravity, metallicity, reddening, extinction, and extinction law. An average metallicity, based on Fe and Mg abundances, relative to the Sun of [Z] = −0.35 ± 0.09 dex is obtained. The reddening distribution peaks at = 0.08 mag, but significantly larger values are also encountered. A wide distribution of the ratio of extinction to reddening is found ranging from = 2 to 6. The results are used to investigate the blue supergiant relationship between flux-weighted gravity, g f ≡ g/ , and absolute bolometric magnitude M bol. The existence of a tight relationship, the Flux-weighted Gravity–Luminosity Relationship (FGLR), is confirmed. However, in contrast to previous work, the observations reveal that the FGLR is divided into two parts with a different slope. For flux-weighted gravities larger than 1.30 dex, the slope is similar to that found in previous work, but the relationship becomes significantly steeper for smaller values of the flux-weighted gravity. A new calibration of the FGLR for extragalactic distance determinations is provided.

Extra-galactic Distances with Massive Stars: The Role of Stellar Variability in the Case of M33

Abstract In modern cosmology, determining the Hubble constant (H0) using a distance ladder to percent level and comparing with the results from the Planck satellite can shed light on the nature of dark energy, physics of the neutrino, and curvature of the universe. Thanks to the endeavor of the SH0ES team, the uncertainty of the H0 has be dramatically reduced, from 10% to 2.4%, and with the promise of even reaching 1% in the near future. In this regard, it is fundamentally important to investigate the systematics. This is best done using other good independent distance indicators. One promising method is the flux-weighted gravity luminosity relation (FGLR) of the blue supergiants (BSGs). As BSGs are the brightest objects in galaxies, they can probe distances up to 10 Mpc with negligible blending effects. While the FGLR method delivered distance is in good agreement with other distance indicators, it has been shown that this method delivers greater distances in the cases of M33 and NGC 55. Here, we investigate whether the M33 distance estimate of FGLR suffers systematics from stellar variability. Using CFHT M33 monitoring data, we found that 9 out of 22 BSGs showed variability during the course of 500 days, although with amplitudes as small as 0.05 mag. This suggests that stellar variability plays a negligible role in the FGLR distance determination.

On the effect of rotation on populations of classical Cepheids

Classical Cepheid variable stars are high-sensitivity probes of stellar evolution and fundamental tracers of cosmic distances. While rotational mixing significantly affects the evolution of Cepheid progenitors (intermediate-mass stars), the impact of the resulting changes in stellar structure and composition on Cepheids on their pulsational properties is hitherto unknown. Here we present the first detailed pulsational instability analysis of stellar evolution models that include the effects of rotation, for both fundamental mode and first overtone pulsation. We employ Geneva evolution models spanning a three-dimensional grid in mass (1.7 - 15 $M_\odot$), metallicity (Z = 0.014, 0.006, 0.002), and rotation (non-rotating, average & fast rotation). We determine (1) hot and cool instability strip (IS) boundaries taking into account the coupling between convection and pulsation, (2) pulsation periods, and (3) rates of period change. We investigate relations between period and (a) luminosity, (b) age, (c) radius, (d) temperature, (e) rate of period change, (f) mass, (g) the flux-weighted gravity-luminosity relation (FWGLR). We confront all predictions aside from those for age with observations, finding generally excellent agreement. We tabulate period-luminosity relations (PLRs) for several photometric pass-bands and investigate how the finite IS width, different IS crossings, metallicity, and rotation affect PLRs. We show that a Wesenheit index based on H, V, and I photometry is expected to have the smallest intrinsic PLR dispersion. We confirm that rotation resolves the Cepheid mass discrepancy. Period-age relations depend significantly on rotation (rotation increases Cepheid ages), offering a straightforward explanation for evolved stars in binary systems that cannot be matched by conventional isochrones assuming a single age. Finally, we show that Cepheids obey a tight FWGLR.

The flux-weighted gravity-luminosity relationship of blue supergiant stars as a constraint for stellar evolution

(abridged) The flux-weighted gravity-luminosity relationship (FGLR) of blue supergiant stars (BSG) links their absolute magnitude to the spectroscopically determined flux-weighted gravity log g = Teff^4. BSG are the brightest stars in the universe at visual light and the application of the FGLR has become a powerful tool to determine extragalactic distances. Observationally, the FGLR is a tight relationship with only small scatter. It is, therefore, ideal to be used as a constraint for stellar evolution models. The goal of this work is to investigate whether stellar evolution can reproduce the observed FGLR and to develop an improved foundation of the FGLR as an extragalactic distance indicator. We use different grids of stellar models for initial masses between 9 and 40 Msun, for metallicities between Z = 0.002 and 0.014, with and without rotation, computed with various mass loss rates during the red supergiant phase. For each of these models we discuss the details of post-main sequence evolution and construct theoretical FGLRs by means of population synthesis models which we then compare with the observed FGLR. In general, the stellar evolution model FGLRs agree reasonably well with the observed one. There are, however, differences between the models, in particular with regard to the shape and width (scatter) in the flux-weighted gravity-luminosity plane. The best agreement is obtained with models which include the effects of rotation and assume that the large majority, if not all the observed BSG evolve towards the red supergiant phase and only a few are evolving back from this stage. The effects of metallicity on the shape and scatter of the FGLR are small. (...)

STELLAR METALLICITY OF THE EXTENDED DISK AND DISTANCE OF THE SPIRAL GALAXY NGC 3621

Low resolution ESO VLT/FORS spectra of blue supergiant stars are analyzed to determine stellar metallicities (based on elements such as Fe, Ti, Mg) in the extended disk of the spiral galaxy NGC3621. Mildly subsolar metallicity (-0.30 dex) is found for the outer objects beyond 7 kpc independent of galactocentric radius and compatible with the absence of a metallicity gradient confirming the results of a recent investigation of interstellar medium HII region gas oxygen abundances. The stellar metallicities are slightly higher than those from the HII regions when based on measurements of the weak forbidden auroral oxygen line at 4363 AE but lower than the ones obtained with the R23 strong line method. It is shown that the present level of metallicity in the extended disk cannot be the result of chemical evolution over the age of the disk with the present rate of in situ star formation. Additional mechanisms must be involved. In addition to metallicity, stellar effective temperatures, gravities, interstellar reddening, and bolometric magnitudes are determined. After application of individual reddening corrections for each target the flux-weighted gravity-luminosity relationship of blue supergiant stars is used to obtain a distance modulus of 29.07+/-0.09 mag (distance D=6.52+/-0.28 Mpc). This new distance is discussed in relation to Cepheid and tip of the red giant branch distances.

QUANTITATIVE SPECTROSCOPY OF BLUE SUPERGIANTS IN METAL-POOR DWARF GALAXY NGC 3109

We present a quantitative analysis of the low-resolution (4.5 A) spectra of 12 late-B and early-A blue supergiants (BSGs) in the metal-poor dwarf galaxy NGC 3109. A modified method of analysis is presented which does not require use of the Balmer jump as an independent temperature indicator, as used in previous studies. We determine stellar effective temperatures, gravities, metallicities, reddening, and luminosities, and combine our sample with the early-B type BSGs analyzed by Evans et al. (2007) to derive the distance to NGC 3109 using the Flux-weighted Gravity-Luminosity Relation (FGLR). Using primarily Fe-group elements, we find an average metallicity of [Z] = -0.67 +/- 0.13, and no evidence of a metallicity gradient in the galaxy. Our metallicities are higher than those found by Evans et al. (2007) based on the oxygen abundances of early-B supergiants ([Z] = -0.93 +/- 0.07), suggesting a low alpha/Fe ratio for the galaxy. We adjust the position of NGC 3109 on the BSG-determined galaxy mass-metallicity relation accordingly and compare it to metallicity studies of HII regions in star-forming galaxies. We derive an FGLR distance modulus of 25.55 +/- 0.09 (1.27 Mpc) that compares well with Cepheid and tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) distances. The FGLR itself is consistent with those found in other galaxies, demonstrating the reliability of this method as a measure of extragalactic distances.

A DIRECT STELLAR METALLICITY DETERMINATION IN THE DISK OF THE MASER GALAXY NGC 4258

We present the first direct determination of a stellar metallicity in the spiral galaxy NGC4258 (D=7.6 Mpc) based on the quantitative analysis of a low-resolution (~5 AE) Keck LRIS spectrum of a blue supergiant star located in its disk. A determination of stellar metallicity in this galaxy is important for the absolute calibration of the Cepheid Period-Luminosity relation as an anchor for the extragalactic distance scale and for a better characterization of its dependence as a function of abundance. We find a value 0.2 dex lower than solar metallicity at a galactocentric distance of 8.7 kpc, in agreement with recent HII region studies using the weak forbidden auroral oxygen line at 4363 AE. We determine the effective stellar temperature, gravity, luminosity and line-of-sight extinction of the blue supergiant being studied. We show that it fits well on the flux-weighted gravity--luminosity relation (FGLR), strengthening the potential of this method as a new extragalactic distance indicator.

Distances to galaxies from the brightest stars in the Universe

Blue Supergiants (BSGs) are the brightest stars in the universe at visual light with absolute magnitudes up to M V =−10 mag. They are ideal stellar objects for the determination of extragalactic distances, in particular, because the perennial uncertainties troubling most of the other stellar distance indicators, interstellar extinction and metallicity, do not affect them. The quantitative spectral analysis of low resolution spectra of individual BSGs provides accurate stellar parameters and chemical composition, which are then used to determine accurate reddening and extinction from photometry for each individual object. Accurate distances can be determined from stellar gravities and effective temperatures using the “Flux Weighted Gravity–Luminosity Relationship (FGLR)”.Most recent results of the quantitative spectral analysis of BSGs in galaxies within and beyond the Local Group based on medium and low resolution spectra obtained with the ESO VLT and the Keck telescopes on Mauna Kea are presented and distances obtained with the FGLR-method are discussed together with the effects of patchy extinction and abundance gradients in galaxies. BSG metallicities and metallicity gradients are compared with results from strong-line H ii region studies and the consequences for the empirical calibration of the metallicity dependence of the Cepheid period–luminosity relationship are pointed out. The perspectives of future work are discussed, the use of the giant ground-based telescopes of the next generation such as the TMT on Mauna Kea and the E-ELT and the tremendous value of the GAIA mission to allow for the ultimate calibration of the FGLR using galactic BSGs.

QUANTITATIVE SPECTROSCOPY OF BLUE SUPERGIANT STARS IN THE DISK OF M81: METALLICITY, METALLICITY GRADIENT, AND DISTANCE

The quantitative spectral analysis of low resolution Keck LRIS spectra of blue supergiants in the disk of the giant spiral galaxy M81 is used to determine stellar effective temperatures, gravities, metallicities, luminosites, interstellar reddening and a new distance using the Flux-weighted Gravity--Luminosity Relationship (FGLR). Substantial reddening and extinction is found with E(B-V) ranging between 0.13 to 0.38 mag and an average value of 0.26 mag. The distance modulus obtained after individual reddening corrections is 27.7+/-0.1 mag. The result is discussed with regard to recently measured TRGB and Cepheid distances. The metallicities (based on elements such as iron, titanium, magnesium) are supersolar (~0.2 dex) in the inner disk (R<=5kpc) and slightly subsolar (~ -0.05 dex) in the outer disk (R>10 kpc) with a shallow metallicity gradient of 0.034 dex/kpc. The comparison with published oxygen abundances of planetary nebulae and metallicities determined through fits of HST color-magnitude diagrams indicates a late metal enrichment and a flattening of the abundance gradient over the last 5 Gyrs. This might be the result of gas infall from metal rich satellite galaxies. Combining these M81 metallicities with published blue supergiant abundance studies in the Local Group and the Sculptor Group a galaxy mass metallicity-relationship based solely on stellar spectroscopic studies is presented and compared with recent studies of SDSS star forming galaxies.

Dissecting galaxies with quantitative spectroscopy of the brightest stars in the Universe

AbstractMeasuring distances to galaxies, determining their chemical composition, investigating the nature of their stellar populations and the absorbing properties of their interstellar medium are fundamental activities in modern extragalactic astronomy helping to understand the evolution of galaxies and the expanding universe. The optically brightest stars in the universe, blue supergiants of spectral A and B, are unique tools for these purposes. With absolute visual magnitudes up to MV ≃ ‐9.5 they are ideal to obtain accurate quantitative information about galaxies through the powerful modern methods of quantitative stellar spectroscopy. The spectral analysis of individual blue supergiant targets provides invaluable information about chemical abundances and abundance gradients, which is more comprehensive than the one obtained from HII regions, as it includes additional atomic species, and which is also more accurate, since it avoids the systematic uncertainties inherent in the strong line studies usually applied to the HII regions of spiral galaxies beyond the Local Group. Simultaneously, the spectral analysis yields stellar parameters and interstellar extinction for each individual supergiant target, which provides an alternative very accurate way to determine extragalactic distances through a newly developed method, called the Flux‐weighted Gravity–Luminosity Relationship (FGLR). With the present generation of 10 m‐class telescopes these spectroscopic studies can reach out to distances of 10 Mpc. The new generation of 30 m‐class telescopes will allow to extend this work out to 30 Mpc, a substantial volume of the local universe (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &amp; Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

A NEW DISTANCE TO M33 USING BLUE SUPERGIANTS AND THE FGLR METHOD

The quantitative spectral analysis of medium resolution optical spectra of A and B supergiants obtained with DEIMOS and ESI at the Keck Telescopes is used to determine a distance modulus of 24.93 +/- 0.11 mag for the Triangulum Galaxy M33. The analysis yields stellar effective temperatures, gravities, interstellar reddening, and extinction, the combination of which provides a distance estimate via the Flux-weighted Gravity--Luminosity Relationship (FGLR). This result is based on an FGLR calibration that is continually being polished. An average reddening of <E(B-V)> ~ 0.08 mag is found, with a large variation ranging from 0.01 to 0.16 mag however, demonstrating the importance of accurate individual reddening measurements for stellar distance indicators in galaxies with evident signatures of interstellar absorption. The large distance modulus found is in good agreement with recent work on eclipsing binaries, planetary nebulae, long period variables, RR Lyrae stars, and also with HST observations of Cepheids, if reasonable reddening assumptions are made for the Cepheids. Since distances based on the tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) method found in the literature give conflicting results, we have used HST ACS V- and I-band images of outer regions of M 33 to determine a TRGB distance of 24.84 +/- 0.10 mag, in basic agreement with the FGLR result. We have also determined stellar metallicities and discussed the metallicity gradient in the disk of M33. We find metallicity of $Z_\odot$ at the center and 0.3 $Z_\odot$ in the outskirts at a distance of one isophotal radius. The average logarithmic metallicity gradient is -0.07 +/- 0.01 dex kpc^-1. However, there is a large scatter around this average value, very similar to what has been found for the HII regions in M33.

Extragalactic stellar astronomy with the brightest stars in the universe

Supergiants are objects in transition from the blue to the red (and vice versa) in the uppermost HRD. They are the intrinsically brightest ‘normal’ stars at visual light with absolute visual magnitudes up to −9. They are ideal to study young stellar populations in galaxies beyond the Local Group to determine chemical composition and evolution, interstellar extinction, reddening laws and distances. We discuss the most recent results on the quantitative spectral analysis of such objects in galaxies beyond the Local Group based on medium and low-resolution spectra obtained with the ESO VLT and Keck. We describe the analysis method including the determination of metallicity and metallicity gradients. A new method to measure extragalactic distances accurately based on stellar gravities and effective temperatures is presented, the flux-weighted gravity—luminosity relationship (FGLR). The FGLR is a purely spectroscopic method that overcomes the uncertainties, introduced by interstellar extinction and variations of metallicity, which plague all methods of photometric stellar distance determination. We discuss the perspectives of future work using the giant ground-based telescopes of the next generation such as the TMT, the GMT and the E-ELT.