2000/09/05 by Timothy M. Heckman, Heckman, Timothy M.
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics (astro-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/0009075
In "Gas & Galaxy Evolution" conference proceedings 14 pages, 3 figures. Requires newpasp.sty
arxiv created 2000/09/05 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01
In this contribution I summarize our current knowledge of the nature and significance of starburst-driven galactic superwinds. These flows are driven primarily by the kinetic energy supplied by supernovae. Superwinds are complex, multiphase phenomena requiring a panchromatic observational approach. They are ubiquitous in galaxies in which the global star-formation rate per unit area exceeds roughly 10-1 M\odot yr-1 kpc-2 (a condition satisfied by local starbursts and high-z Lyman Break galaxies). Data on X-ray emission, optical line-emission, and optical/UV interstellar absorption-lines together imply that the mass outflow rates are comparable to the star-formation-rates and that the conversion of kinetic energy from supernovae to superwind is quite efficient (∼ 30 to 100%). Measured/inferred outflow speeds range from a few × 102 to 103 km/s and appear to be independent of the rotation speed of the ``host'' galaxy. The outflows are dusty (dust/gas ratios of ∼ 1% by mass). These properties imply that superwinds may have established the mass-metallicity relation in elliptical and bulges, polluted the inter-galactic medium to a metallicity of ∼ 10 to 30% solar, heated the inter-galactic medium by up to ∼1 kev per baryon, and ejected enough dust into the inter-galactic medium to have potentially observable consequences.