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The Temperature and Metallicity Gradients of Starburst-Driven Outflows

Presentation #300.04 in the session Galactic Winds, Outflows, and AGN Feedback.

Published onJul 01, 2023
The Temperature and Metallicity Gradients of Starburst-Driven Outflows

We analyze image and spectral data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory of the nearby edge-on starburst galaxies M82 and NGC 253 to constrain the temperature and metallicity gradients in the hot phase of their outflows. We find that the temperatures and electron density profiles peak in the galactic disks and are in disagreement with an adiabatic spherically expanding starburst model outside of the disks, demonstrating the need for galactic wind models to consider different wind geometries and mass loading. We measure the metal abundance profiles as well. Both galaxies have evidence of alpha-element enrichment in the outflow, providing evidence for a connection between galactic winds and the metal-rich circumgalactic medium. In both sources, we detect emission from charge exchange in the outflow and find it has a significant contribution to the total X-ray emission.

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