On the maximum value of the cosmic abundance of oxygen and the oxygen yield

We search for the maximum oxygen abundance in spiral galaxies. Because this maximum value is expected to occur in the centres of the most luminous galaxies, we have constructed the luminosity - central metallicity diagram for spiral galaxies, based on a large compilation of existing data on oxygen abundances of H II regions in spiral galaxies. We found that this diagram shows a plateau at high luminosities (-22.3 less than or similar to M-B less than or similar to -20.3), with a constant maximum value of the gas-phase oxygen abundance 12 + log (O/H) similar to 8.87. This provides strong evidence that the oxygen abundance in the centres of the most luminous metal-rich galaxies reaches the maximum attainable value of oxygen abundance. Since some fraction of the oxygen (about 0.08 dex) is expected to be locked into dust grains, the maximum value of the true gas + dust oxygen abundance in spiral galaxies is 12 + log(O/H) similar to 8.95. This value is a factor of similar to 2 higher than the recently estimated solar value. Based on the derived maximum oxygen abundance in galaxies, we found the oxygen yield to be about 0.0035, depending on the fraction of oxygen incorporated into dust grains.