Nearby Galaxies in X-rays: Studying their Components and Global Evolution

• Antragstellerin: Professorin Dr. Manami Sasaki
• Fachliche Zuordnung: Astrophysik und Astronomie
• Förderung: Förderung von 2010 bis 2017
• Projektkennung: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 175348456

• Erstellungsjahr: 2016

Zusammenfassung der Projektergebnisse

In the Emmy Noether project, we have used X-ray observations as well as additional multi-wavelength observations to study X-ray sources in our Milky Way and nearby galaxies. The immediate objective of our work is to understand the physics of the objects, the mechanisms responsible for their X-ray emission, and the X-ray source populations in the galaxies. To this end, following key topics have been investigated: 1) X-ray source population and X-ray luminosity functions of nearby galaxies and their relation to the underlying stellar populations, 2) physics of supernova remnants (SNRs) and their interaction with the interstellar medium (ISM), and 3) the evolution and dynamics of the hot ISM. We have studied the SNR population in the Andromeda galaxy (M 31) and the total X-ray source population in the barred spiral, starburst galaxy M 83 as well as the interacting galaxy pair NGC 1512/1510. In addition, we studied the Draco dwarf spheroidal galaxy, which is a very faint, most likely dark-matter dominated galaxy with a very old stellar population. We have also analysed the X-ray spectra of the supernova (SN) 2011dh in the nearby Whirlpool galaxy (M 51) and showed that its spectrum changed after the SN shock had passed through the circumstellar medium of the progenitor. We are carrying out a comprehensive study of SNRs and the ISM in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) in X-rays, radio, and optical. A giant structure in the ISM with an extent of ∼ 1 kpc called supergiant shell SGS2, and a superbubble and SNR near the shell (DEM L299) were studied. In addition, we used a large amount of XMM-Newton data of the superbubble 30 Doradus C in the LMC collected since the launch of the satellite, to investigate its X-ray emission, which is well-known for its partly non-thermal nature. We have also performed multi-wavelength analysis of the superbubble and searched for possible compact objects that might be related to the superbubble. We discovered a new SNR, which is located at the rim of the superbubble. In our Galaxy, we studied the SNR W51C which is part of a complex region full of compact H II regions and is located next to an extended system of molecular clouds. We detected emission from ejecta and circumstellar material and found two candidate pulsar wind nebulae. To improve our understanding of the physics of the SNR shocks and the interaction of an SNR with the ambient ISM, we have carried out numerical simulations of the Galactic SNR CTB 109 in collaboration with the Technische Universität Berlin.

Projektbezogene Publikationen (Auswahl)

• 2012: Supernova remnants and candidates detected in the XMM-Newton M 31 large survey, A&A, 544, 144
  Sasaki, M., Pietsch, W., Haberl, F., Hatzidimitriou, D., Stiele, H., Williams, B., Kong, A., Kolb, U.
  
• 2012: XMM-Newton view of the N 206 superbubble in the Large Magellanic Cloud, A&A, 547, 19
  Kavanagh, P, Sasaki, M., Points, S. D.
  
• 2013: Multiwavelength study of the newly confirmed supernova remnant MCSNR J0527–7104 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, A&A, 549, 99
  Kavanagh, P, Sasaki, M., Points, S. D., Filipović, M. D., Maggi, P., Bozzetto, L. M., Crawford, E. J., Haberl, F., Pietsch, W.
  
• 2013: X-ray source population study of the starburst galaxy M 83 with XMM-Newton, A&A, 553, 7
  Ducci, L., Sasaki, M., Haberl, F., Pietsch, W.
  
• 2014: Multi-frequency study of DEM L299 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, A&A, 567, 136
  Warth, G., Sasaki, M., Kavanagh, P. J., Filipović , M. D.,Points, S. D.
  
• 2014: XMM-Newton observation of the Galactic supernova remnant W51C (G49.1-0.1), A&A, 563, 9
  Sasaki, M., Heinitz, C., Warth, G., Pühlhofer, G.
  
• 2014: XMM-Newton observation of the interacting galaxies NGC 1512 and NGC 1510, A&A, 566, 115
  Ducci, L., Kavanagh, P. J., Sasaki, M., Koribalski, B. S.
  
• 2015: XMM-Newton study of 30 Dor C and a newly identified MCSNR J0536-6913 in the Large Magellanic Cloud, A&A, 573, 73
  Kavanagh, P. J., Sasaki, M., Bozzetto, L. M., Filipović, M. D., Points, S. D., Maggi, P., Haberl, F.
  
• 2016: Two evolved supernova remnants with newly identified Fe-rich cores in the Large Magellanic Cloud, A&A, 586, 4
  Kavanagh, P. J., Sasaki, M., Bozzetto, L. M., Points, S. D., Crawford, E. J., Dickel, J., Filipović , M. D., Haberl, F., Maggi, P., Whelan, E. T.
  
• 2016: XMM-Newton study of the Draco dwarf galaxy, A&A, 586, 64
  Saeedi, S., Sasaki, M., Ducci, L.