Stellar populations are powerful tools for investigating the evolution of extragalactic environments .
We present the first UV integrated-light spectroscopic observations for 15 young star clusters in the starburst M83 with a special focus on metallicity measurements .
The data were obtained with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph ( COS ) onboard the Hubble Space Telescope .
We analyse the data applying an abundance technique previously used to study an optical set of star clusters .
We estimate a central metallicity of [ Z ] = + 0.20 \pm 0.15 dex in agreement with those obtained through independent methods , i.e . J -band and blue supergiants .
We estimate a UV metallicity gradient of - 0.041 \pm 0.022 dex kpc ^ { -1 } consistent with the optical metallicity gradient of - 0.040 \pm 0.032 dex kpc ^ { -1 } for R / R _ { 25 } < 0.5 .
Combining our stellar metallicities , UV and optical , with those from \ion H2 regions ( strong-line abundances based on empirical calibrations ) we identify two possible breaks in the gradient of M83 at galactocentric distances of R \sim 0.5 and 1.0 \ > R _ { 25 } .
If the abundance breaks are genuine , the metallicity gradient of this galaxy follows a steep-shallow-steep trend , a scenario predicted by three-dimensional ( 3D ) numerical simulations of disc galaxies .
The first break is located near the corotation radius .
This first steep gradient may have originated by recent star formation episodes and a relatively young bar ( < 1 Gyr ) .
In the numerical simulations the shallow gradient is created by the effects of dilution by outflow where low-metallicity material is mixed with enriched gas .
And finally , the second break and last steep gradient mark the farthest galactocentric distances where the outward flow has penetrated .