Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2003-05-09
Astrophys.J. 594 (2003) 776-797
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Accepted for publication in ApJ. A PDF version with high resolution figures can be obtained from ftp://ftp.atnf.csiro.au/pub
Scientific paper
10.1086/377040
Deep Chandra observations (53 ks, ACIS-S3) of NGC 3077, a starburst dwarf galaxy in the M 81 triplet, resolve the X-ray emission from several supershells. The emission is brightest in the cavities defined by expanding shells detected previously in H alpha emission (Martin 1998). Thermal emission models fitted to the data imply temperatures ranging from ~1.3 to 4.9 x 10^(6) K and indicate that the strongest absorption is coincident with the densest clouds traced by CO emission. The fitted emission measures give pressures of P/k~10^(5-6) xi^(-0.5) f_(v)^(-0.5) K cm^(-3) (xi: metallicity of the hot gas in solar units, f_(v): volume filling factor). Despite these high pressures, the radial density profile of the hot gas is not as steep as that expected in a freely expanding wind (e.g., as seen in the neighboring starburst galaxy M 82) implying that the hot gas is still confined by the H alpha shells. The chaotic dynamical state of NGC 3077 undermines reliable estimates of the escape velocity. The more relevant quantity for the ultimate fate of the outflow is probably the gas density in the rich intragroup medium. Based on the HI distribution of NGC 3077 and a connected tidal tail we argue that the wind has the potential to leave the gravitational well of NGC 3077 to the north but not to the south. The total 0.3-6.0 keV X-ray luminosity is ~2-5 x 10^(39) erg s^(-1) (depending on the selected thermal plasma model). Most (~85%) of the X-ray luminosity in NGC 3077 comes from the hot interstellar gas; the remainder comes from six X-ray point sources. In spite of previous claims to the contrary, we do not find X-ray emission originating from the prominent tidal tail near NGC 3077.
Martin Crystal L.
Ott Juergen
Walter Fabian
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