Constraining the Sub-Galactic Relationship Between Star Formation and the Hot Interstellar Medium in NGC 4254
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: We investigate the relationship between star formation and X-ray emission from the hot interstellar medium (ISM) on $\sim$kpc scales in NGC 4254 (M99) by combining spatially resolved star formation histories (SFHs) and Bayesian X-ray spectral fitting. We measure sub-galactic star formation rates (SFR) by modeling spectrophotometric UV-IR data with flexible SFHs, and we produce point-source-subtracted maps of the diffuse X-ray emission using Chandra data. We extract and fit the spectra of 5 regions selected by their SFR density $?_{\rm SFR}$, deriving hot gas luminosities and plasma temperatures. We examine the sub-galactic $kT-?_{\rm SFR}$ and $L^{\rm gas}_X-?_{\rm SFR}$ scaling relations in NGC 4254, and compare to predictions from simple models of the feedback into the ISM from core collapse supernovae (CCSNe). The hot gas emission from NGC 4254 is consistent with thermalization of $\approx 40-50\%$ of the energy from CCSNe in the ISM, and mass-loading of the CCSNe ejecta which decreases as $?_{\rm SFR}^{-1/3}$. Our optimized model implies a temperature and X-ray production efficiency that scale as $kT = (0.72^{+0.26}_{-0.18}~{\rm keV}) ?_{\rm SFR}^{0.34\pm0.10}$ and $?= (0.03^{+0.02}_{-0.01}) ?_{\rm SFR}^{0.34\pm0.18}$, respectively, for $?_{\rm SFR} = 0.01-0.13~{\rm M_{\odot}~yr^{-1}~kpc^{-2}}$. We also compare the properties of the hot ISM to other ISM phases using data from the PHANGS program. The diffuse X-ray emission of a given region is on average 200 times fainter than the H$?$ emission, and we see evidence that the hot ISM is over-pressurized compared to the large-scale dynamical equilibrium pressure of the galaxy, consistent with expansion of the hot ISM into the ambient medium.
DOI: 10.13016/m2ibck-rgew
Authors: Monson, Erik B., Lehmer, Bret D., Amiri, Amirnezam, Barboza, Karina, Barnes, Ashley, Basu-Zych, Antara, Dale, Daniel A., Das, Sanskriti, Dlamini, Simthembile, Glover, Simon C. O., Kreckel, Kathryn, Lopez, Laura A., Lopez, Sebastian, Mathur, Smita, Pan, Hsi-An, Rodriguez, Jennifer A., Sandstrom, Karin M., Sarbadhicary, Sumit K., Sun, Jiayi, Williams, Thomas G.
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: National Science Foundation, Smithsonian Institution, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, University of Pennsylvania, California Institute of Technology, Pennsylvania State University, Space Telescope Science Institute, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Indian Space Research Organisation, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, European Southern Observatory, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, National Science and Technology Council, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, University of California, Los Angeles, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Canadian Space Agency, National Institutes of Natural Sciences
Awards: G1390571956, G1436127539, Collaborative Research: Spatially Resolving the Mechanisms of Star Formation Quenching Using Molecular Gas Observations, G2182214808, G2620723556, G2721487110, G3561758408, G3782671888, G3815726687, G3889686005, G433322167, G4518818167, G5780980149, G58316358, G5991496640, G6273510985, G767601387, G775452760, G8210229802, G8493109902
OpenAlex ID: W7141277164
FWCI:
Cites:
Cited by:
Related to: