The evolution of H ii galaxies: Testing the bursting scenario through the use of self-consistent models

Abstract

We have computed a series of realistic and self-consistent models of the emitted spectra of H ii galaxies. Our models combine different codes of chemical evolution, evolutionary population synthesis and photoionization. The emitted spectrum of H ii galaxies is reproduced by means of the photoionization code cloudy, using as ionizing spectrum the spectral energy distribution of the modelled H ii galaxy, which in turn is calculated according to a star formation history and a metallicity evolution given by a chemical evolution model that follows the abundances of 15 different elements. The contribution of emission lines to the broad-band colours is explicitly taken into account. The results of our code are compared with photometric and spectroscopic data of H ii galaxies. Our technique reproduces observed diagnostic diagrams, abundances, equivalent width-colour and equivalent width-metallicity relations for local H ii galaxies. © 2008 RAS.