Direct Method Gas Phase Oxygen Abundances of 4 Lyman Break Analogs
  We measure the gas-phase oxygen abundances in 4 Lyman Break Analogs (LBAs)
using auroral emission lines to derive direct abundances. The direct method
oxygen abundances of these objects are generally consistent with the
empirically-derived strong-line method values, confirming that these objects
are low oxygen abundance outliers from the Mass-Metallicity (MZ) relation
defined by star forming SDSS galaxies. We find slightly anomalous excitation
conditions (Wolf-Rayet features) that could potentially bias the empirical
estimates towards high values if caution is not exercised in the selection of
the strong-line calibration used. The high rate of star formation and low
oxygen abundance of these objects is consistent with the predictions of the
Fundamental Metallicity Relation (FMR), in which the infall of relatively
unenriched gas simultaneously triggers an episode of star formation and dilutes
ISM of the host galaxy.
