Publication Date
2000
Abstract
I review recent results from our deep ROSAT and Chandra observations of two galaxies, M101 and NGC 4631, in fields of exceptionally low Galactic extinction. Large amounts of X-ray-emitting gas are detected in these galaxies. Such gas is produced primarily in massive star forming regions and have an average characteristic temperature of a few times $10^6$ K. Cooler gas ($\sim 10^6$ K) is found typically outside galactic disks and may represent outflows from blown-out superbubbles. Propagation of star formation, driven by the expansion of hot gas, appears to be operating in giant HII complexes. A substantial fraction of photo-evaporated gas in such complexes may be mass-loaded into hot gas, which explains their large X-ray luminosities. These processes likely play an important role in determining the global properties of the interstellar medium, especially the disk/halo interaction.
Recommended Citation
Wang, QD, "Title: Recent X-ray Observations of Disk Galaxies: Tracing the Dynamic Interstellar Medium" (2000). Astronomy Department Faculty Publication Series. 1094.
Retrieved from https://scholarworks.umass.edu/astro_faculty_pubs/1094
Comments
This is the pre-published version harvested from ArXiv.