The discrepancy between the oxygen abundances in high-metallicity HII regions
determined through the Te-method (and/or through the corresponding "strong
lines - oxygen abundance" calibration) and that determined through the model
fitting (and/or through the corresponding "strong lines - oxygen abundance"
calibration) is discussed. It is suggested to use the interstellar oxygen
abundance in the solar vicinity, derived with very high precision from the
high-resolution observations of the weak interstellar absorption lines towards
the stars, as a "Rosetta stone" to verify the validity of the oxygen abundances
derived in HII regions with the Te-method at high abundances. The agreement
between the value of the oxygen abundance at the solar galactocentric distance
traced by the abundances derived in HII regions through the Te-method and that
derived from the interstellar absorption lines towards the stars is strong
evidence in favor of that i) the two-zone model for Te seems to be a realistic
interpretation of the temperature structure within HII regions, and ii) the
classic Te-method provides accurate oxygen abundances in HII regions. It has
been concluded that the "strong lines - oxygen abundance" calibrations must be
based on the HII regions with the oxygen abundances derived with the Te-method
but not on the existing grids of the models for HII regions.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysic