Absolute parameters for eight eclipsing binaries in the Large Magellanic Cloud:: The mass-luminosity relation

A simultaneous light and radial velocity analysis of eight Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) eclipsing binaries is presented. Combining spectroscopic observations obtained with UVES at the ESO Very Large Telescope and light curves available from the MACHO and OGLE databases, accurate masses and radii for the binary components, along with their spectral types and luminosities, are derived. These determinations allow us to construct the first mass-luminosity relation for late O and early B type stars in the LMC. This mass-luminosity relation looks very similar to that of the Milky Way, in spite of the different metallicities. The good agreement achieved in the comparison with recent theoretical isochrones is encouraging regarding the reliability of star models up to 20 M-..