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JWST observations of starbursts: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons closely trace the cool phase of M82’s galactic wind

Stellar feedback drives multiphase gas outflows from starburst galaxies, but the interpretation of dust emission in these winds remains uncertain. To investigate this, we analyze new JWST mid-infrared images tracing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission at 7.7 and 11.3 μm from the outflow o...

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Main Authors: Lopez, Sebastian (Author) , Ring, Colton (Author) , Leroy, Adam K. (Author) , Cronin, Serena A. (Author) , Bolatto, Alberto D. (Author) , Lopez, Laura A. (Author) , Villanueva, Vicente (Author) , Fisher, Deanne B. (Author) , Thompson, Todd A. (Author) , Donnelly, Grant P. (Author) , Armus, Lee (Author) , Böker, Torsten (Author) , Boogaard, Leindert A. (Author) , Boyer, Martha L. (Author) , Chown, Ryan (Author) , Dale, Daniel A. (Author) , Donaghue, Keaton (Author) , Emig, Kimberly (Author) , Glover, Simon (Author) , Herrera-Camus, Rodrigo (Author) , Klessen, Ralf S. (Author) , Lai, Thomas S.-Y. (Author) , Lenkić, Laura (Author) , Levy, Rebecca C. (Author) , Meier, David S. (Author) , Mills, Elisabeth (Author) , Ott, Juergen (Author) , Skillman, Evan D. (Author) , Smith, J. D. T. (Author) , Tarantino, Elizabeth J. (Author) , Veilleux, Sylvain (Author) , Walter, Fabian (Author) , van der Werf, Paul P. (Author)
Format: Article (Journal) Editorial
Language:English
Published: 2026 March 1
In: The astrophysical journal. Part 2, Letters
Year: 2026, Volume: 999, Issue: 1, Pages: 1-13
ISSN:2041-8213
DOI:10.3847/2041-8213/ae4508
Online Access:Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ae4508
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Author Notes:Sebastian Lopez, Colton Ring, Adam K. Leroy, Serena A. Cronin, Alberto D. Bolatto, Laura A. Lopez, Vicente Villanueva, Deanne B. Fisher, Todd A. Thompson, Grant P. Donnelly, Lee Armus, Torsten Böker, Leindert A. Boogaard, Martha L. Boyer, Ryan Chown, Daniel A. Dale, Keaton Donaghue, Kimberly Emig, Simon C.O. Glover, Rodrigo Herrera-Camus, Ralf S. Klessen, Thomas S.-Y. Lai, Laura Lenkić, Rebecca C. Levy, David S. Meier, Elisabeth Mills, Juergen Ott, Evan D. Skillman, J.D.T. Smith, Elizabeth J. Tarantino, Sylvain Veilleux, Fabian Walter, and Paul P. van der Werf
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Summary:Stellar feedback drives multiphase gas outflows from starburst galaxies, but the interpretation of dust emission in these winds remains uncertain. To investigate this, we analyze new JWST mid-infrared images tracing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission at 7.7 and 11.3 μm from the outflow of the prototypical starburst M82 out to 3.2 kpc. We find that PAH emission shows significant correlations with CO, Hα, and X-ray emission within the outflow, though the strengths and behaviors of these correlations vary with gas phase and distance from the starburst. PAH emission correlates strongly with cold molecular gas, with PAH-CO scaling relations in the wind nearly identical to those in galaxy disks despite the very different conditions. The Hα-PAH correlation indicates that Hα traces the surfaces of PAH-bearing clouds, consistent with arising from ionized layers produced by shocks. Meanwhile, the PAH-X-ray correlation disappears once distance effects are controlled for past 2 kpc, suggesting that PAHs are decoupled from the hot gas and the global correlation merely reflects the large-scale structure of the outflow. The PAH-to-neutral gas ratio remains nearly flat to 2 kpc, with variations following changes in the radiation field. This implies that the product of PAH abundance and dust-to-gas ratio does not change significantly over the inner portion of the outflow. Together, these results demonstrate that PAHs robustly trace the cold phase of M82’s wind, surviving well beyond the starburst and providing a powerful, high-resolution proxy for mapping the life cycle of entrained cold material in galactic outflows.
Item Description:24. Februar 2026
Gesehen am 15.04.2026
Physical Description:Online Resource
ISSN:2041-8213
DOI:10.3847/2041-8213/ae4508

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