GASEOUS ABUNDANCES IN M82 AND NGC4449

We have started a pilot project to measure the ISM enrichment in a starburstepisode, by comparing infraredderived stellar metallicities with Xray derivedgaseous ones. Preliminary results obtained from archival XMM data seempromising, but are severely hampered by low statistics and leave the mostimportant issues unsolved. We propose to use the RGS onboard XMM to obtain highquality (matching that of the infrared spectra we obtained at the TNG) Xrayspectra of the template starburst galaxies M82 and NGC4449, in order to derivereliable elemental abundances and provide the first measurement of the ISMenrichment. truncated!, Please see actual data for full text [truncated!, Please see actual data for full text]