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In this paper, we build from previous work and present simulations of recent (within the past Gyr), magnetized, cosmic-ray driven outflows from the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), including our first attempts to explicitly use the derived star formation history of the LMC to seed outflow generation. We run a parameter set of simulations for different LMC gas masses and cosmic-ray transport treatments, and we make preliminary comparisons to published outflow flux estimates, neutral and ionized hydrogen observations, and Faraday rotation measure maps. We additionally report on the gas mass that becomes unbound from the LMC disk and swept by ram pressure into the Trailing Magellanic Stream. We find that, even for our largest outburst, the mass contribution to the Stream is still quite small, as much of the outflow-turned-halo gas is shielded on the LMCs far-side due to the LMCs primarily face-on infall through the Milky Way halo over the past Gyr. On the LMC’s near-side, past outflows have fought an uphill battle against ram pressure, with the near-side halo mass being at least a factor of a few smaller than that of the far-side. Absorption-line studies probing only the LMC foreground, then, may be severely underestimating the total mass of the LMC halo formed by outflows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time-domain studies of pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars have long been used to investigate star properties during their early evolutionary phases and to trace the evolution of circumstellar environments. Historically these studies have been confined to the nearest, low-density, star-forming regions. We used the Wide Field Camera 3 on board the Hubble Space Telescope to extend, for the first time, the study of PMS variability to one of the few young massive clusters in the Milky Way, Westerlund 2. Our analysis reveals that at least one-third of the intermediate- and low-mass PMS stars in Westerlund 2 are variable. Based on the characteristics of their light curves, we classified ∼11% of the variable stars as weak-line T Tauri candidates, ∼52% as classical T Tauri candidates, ∼5% as dippers, and ∼26% as bursters. In addition, we found that 2% of the stars below 6 M⊙ (∼6% of the variables) are eclipsing binaries, with orbital periods shorter than 80 days. The spatial distribution of the different populations of variable PMS stars suggests that stellar feedback and UV radiation from massive stars play an important role in the evolution of circumstellar and planetary disks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We derive the recent star formation histories (SFHs) of 23 active dwarf galaxies using Hubble Space Telescope observations from the Legacy Extragalactic UV Survey. We apply a color–magnitude diagram (CMD) fitting technique using two independent sets of stellar models, PARSEC-COLIBRI and MIST. Despite the nonnegligible recent activity, none of the 23 star-forming dwarfs show enhancements in the last 100 Myr larger than three times the 100 Myr average. The unweighted mean of the individual SFHs in the last 100 Myr is also consistent with a rather constant activity, irrespective of the atomic gas fraction. We confirm previous results that for dwarf galaxies, the CMD-based average star formation rates (SFRs) are generally higher than the FUV-based SFRs. For half of the sample, the 60 Myr average CMD-based SFR is more than two times the FUV SFR. In contrast, we find remarkable agreement between the 10 Myr average CMD-based SFR and the Hα-based SFR. Finally, using core helium-burning stars of intermediate mass, we study the pattern of star formation spatial progression over the past 60 Myr and speculate on the possible triggers and connections of the star formation activity with the environment in which these galaxies live. Approximately half of our galaxies show spatial progression of star formation in the last 60 Myr and/or very recent diffuse and off-center activity compared to RGB stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure and kinematics of gaseous, disk–halo interfaces are imprinted with the processes that transfer mass, metals, and energy between galactic disks and their environments. We study the extraplanar diffuse ionized gas (eDIG) layer in the interacting, star-forming galaxy NGC 5775 to better understand the consequences of star formation feedback on the dynamical state of the thick-disk interstellar medium. Combining emission-line spectroscopy from the Robert Stobie Spectrograph on the Southern African Large Telescope with radio continuum observations from Continuum Halos in Nearby Galaxies—an EVLA Survey, we ask whether thermal, turbulent, magnetic field, and cosmic-ray pressure gradients can stably support the eDIG layer in dynamical equilibrium. This model fails to reproduce the observed exponential electron scale heights of the eDIG thick disk and halo on the northeast ( kpc) and southwest ( kpc) sides of the galaxy at R < 11 kpc. We report the first definitive detection of an increasing eDIG velocity dispersion as a function of height above the disk. Blueshifted gas along the minor axis at large distances from the midplane hints at a disk–halo circulation and/or ram pressure effects caused by the ongoing interaction with NGC 5774. This work motivates further integral field unit and/or Fabry–Perot spectroscopy of galaxies with a range of star formation rates to develop a spatially resolved understanding of the role of star formation feedback in shaping the kinematics of the disk–halo interface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Galactic winds and fountains driven by supernova-heated gas play an integral role in redistributing gas in galaxies, depositing metals in the circumgalactic medium, and quenching star formation. The interplay between these outflows and ram-pressure stripping (RPS) due to the galaxy’s motion through an ambient medium may enhance these effects by converting fountain flows into expelled gas. In this paper, we present controlled, 3D simulations of RPS combined with thermally driven, local outflows from clustered supernovae in an isolated disk galaxy modeled on the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a dwarf satellite of the Milky Way on its first infall. Observational evidence of local outflows emanating from supergiant shells in the LMC and a trailing filament of H i gas originating from these regions—with no obvious Leading Arm counterpart—may represent a perfect example of this process. Our simulations present a proof of concept that ram pressure can convert fountain flows into expelled gas. We find that fountains launched near the peak star formation time of the LMC can comprise part of the LMC filament in the Trailing Stream but with lower column densities than observed. Larger, more numerous outflows from the LMC may be possible and may contribute more mass, but higher-inertia gas will lengthen the timescale for this gas to be swept away by ram pressure. Given the high-resolution observations, increased knowledge of star formation histories, and growing evidence of multiphase ionized outflows, the LMC is an ideal test bed for future wind models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use Hubble Space Telescope observations from the Legacy Extragalactic UV Survey to reconstruct the recent star formation histories (SFHs) of three actively star-forming dwarf galaxies, NGC 4449, Holmberg II, and NGC 1705, from their UV color–magnitude diagrams (CMDs). We apply a CMD fitting technique using two independent sets of stellar isochrones, PARSEC-COLIBRI and MIST, to assess the uncertainties related to stellar evolution modeling. Irrespective of the adopted stellar models, all three dwarfs are found to have had almost constant star formation rates (SFRs) in the last 100–200 Myr, with modest enhancements (a factor of ∼2) above the 100 Myr averaged SFR. Significant differences among the three dwarfs are found in terms of the overall SFR, the timing of the most recent peak, and the SFR/area. The initial mass function of NGC 1705 and Holmberg II is consistent with a Salpeter slope down to ≈5 M⊙, whereas it is slightly flatter, s = −2.0, in NGC 4449. The SFHs derived with the two different sets of stellar models are consistent with each other, except for some quantitative details, attributable to their input assumptions. They also share the drawback that all synthetic diagrams predict a clear separation in color between the upper main-sequence and helium-burning stars, which is not apparent in the data. Since neither differential reddening, which is significant in NGC 4449, nor unresolved binaries appear to be sufficient to fill the gap, we suggest this calls for a revision of both sets of stellar evolutionary tracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a study of the dust-to-gas ratios in five nearby galaxies: NGC 628 (M74), NGC 6503, NGC 7793, UGC 5139 (Holmberg I), and UGC 4305 (Holmberg II). Using Hubble Space Telescope broadband WFC3/UVIS UV and optical images from the Treasury program Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey (LEGUS) combined with archival HST/Advanced Camera for Surveys data, we correct thousands of individual stars for extinction across these five galaxies using an isochrone-matching (reddening-free Q) method. We generate extinction maps for each galaxy from the individual stellar extinctions using both adaptive and fixed resolution techniques and correlate these maps with neutral H i and CO gas maps from the literature, including the H i Nearby Galaxy Survey and the HERA CO-Line Extragalactic Survey. We calculate dust-to-gas ratios and investigate variations in the dust-to-gas ratio with galaxy metallicity. We find a power-law relationship between dust-to-gas ratio and metallicity, consistent with other studies of dust-to-gas ratio compared to metallicity. We find a change in the relation when H2 is not included. This implies that underestimation of in low-metallicity dwarfs from a too-low CO-to-H2 conversion factor XCO could have produced too low a slope in the derived relationship between dust-to-gas ratio and metallicity. We also compare our extinctions to those derived from fitting the spectral energy distribution (SED) using the Bayesian Extinction and Stellar Tool for NGC 7793 and find systematically lower extinctions from SED fitting as compared to isochrone matching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first kinematic study of extraplanar diffuse ionized gas (eDIG) in the nearby, face-on disk galaxy M83 using optical emission-line spectroscopy from the Robert Stobie Spectrograph on the Southern African Large Telescope. We use a Markov Chain Monte Carlo method to decompose the [N ii] 6548, 6583, Hα, and [S ii] 6717, 6731 emission lines into H ii region and diffuse ionized gas emission. Extraplanar, diffuse gas is distinguished by its emission-line ratios ([N ii]λ6583/Hα ) and its rotational velocity lag with respect to the disk ( km s−1 in projection). With interesting implications for isotropy, the velocity dispersion of the diffuse gas, km s−1, is a factor of a few higher in M83 than in the Milky Way and nearby, edge-on disk galaxies. The turbulent pressure gradient is sufficient to support the eDIG layer in dynamical equilibrium at an electron scale height of kpc. However, this dynamical equilibrium model must be finely tuned to reproduce the rotational velocity lag. There is evidence of local bulk flows near star-forming regions in the disk, suggesting that the dynamical state of the gas may be intermediate between a dynamical equilibrium and a galactic fountain flow. As one of the first efforts to study eDIG kinematics in a face-on galaxy, this study demonstrates the feasibility of characterizing the radial distribution, bulk velocities, and vertical velocity dispersions in low-inclination systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an analysis of the positions and ages of young star clusters in eight local galaxies to investigate the connection between the age difference and separation of cluster pairs. We find that star clusters do not form uniformly but instead are distributed so that the age difference increases with the cluster pair separation to the 0.25–0.6 power, and that the maximum size over which star formation is physically correlated ranges from ∼200 pc to ∼1 kpc. The observed trends between age difference and separation suggest that cluster formation is hierarchical both in space and time: clusters that are close to each other are more similar in age than clusters born further apart. The temporal correlations between stellar aggregates have slopes that are consistent with predictions of turbulence acting as the primary driver of star formation. The velocity associated with the maximum size is proportional to the galaxy’s shear, suggesting that the galactic environment influences the maximum size of the star-forming structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on color–magnitude diagrams (CMDs) from the Hubble Space Telescope Hubble Tarantula Treasury Project (HTTP) survey, we present the star formation history of Hodge 301, the oldest star cluster in the Tarantula Nebula. The HTTP photometry extends faint enough to reach, for the first time, the cluster pre-main sequence (PMS) turn-on, where the PMS joins the main sequence. Using the location of this feature, along with synthetic CMDs generated with the latest PARSEC models, we find that Hodge 301 is older than previously thought, with an age between 26.5 and 31.5 Myr. From this age, we also estimate that between 38 and 61 Type II supernovae exploded in the region. The same age is derived from the main sequence turn-off, whereas the age derived from the post-main sequence stars is younger and between 20 and 25 Myr. Other relevant parameters are a total stellar mass of ≈8800 ± 800 M⊙ and average reddening E(B − V) ≈ 0.22–0.24 mag, with a differential reddening δE(B − V) ≈ 0.04 mag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The observed scale heights of extraplanar diffuse ionized gas (eDIG) layers exceed their thermal scale heights by a factor of a few in the Milky Way and other nearby edge-on disk galaxies. Here, we test a dynamical equilibrium model of the eDIG layer in NGC 891, where we ask whether the thermal, turbulent, magnetic field, and cosmic-ray pressure gradients are sufficient to support the layer. In optical emission-line spectroscopy from the SparsePak integral field unit on the WIYN 3.5 m telescope, the Hα emission in position–velocity space suggests that the eDIG is found in a ring between galactocentric radii of , where . We find that the thermal ( km s−1) and turbulent ( km s−1) velocity dispersions are insufficient to satisfy the hydrostatic equilibrium equation given an exponential electron scale height of . Using a literature analysis of radio continuum observations from the CHANG-ES survey, we demonstrate that the magnetic field and cosmic-ray pressure gradients are sufficient to stably support the gas at kpc if the cosmic rays are sufficiently coupled to the system (). Thus, a stable dynamical equilibrium model is viable only if the eDIG is found in a thin ring around R = 8 kpc, and nonequilibrium models such as a galactic fountain flow are of interest for further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a study of the spatial distribution of the stellar cluster populations in the star-forming galaxy NGC 628. Using Hubble Space Telescope broadband WFC3/UVIS UV and optical images from the Treasury Program LEGUS (Legacy ExtraGalactic UV Survey), we have identified 1392 potential young ( Myr) stellar clusters within the galaxy using a combination of visual inspection and automatic selection. We investigate the clustering of these young stellar clusters and quantify the strength and change of clustering strength with scale using the two-point correlation function. We also investigate how image boundary conditions and dust lanes affect the observed clustering. The distribution of the clusters is well fit by a broken power law with negative exponent α. We recover a weighted mean index of for all spatial scales below the break at 3.″3 (158 pc at a distance of 9.9 Mpc) and an index of above 158 pc for the accumulation of all cluster types. The strength of the clustering increases with decreasing age and clusters older than 40 Myr lose their clustered structure very rapidly and tend to be randomly distributed in this galaxy, whereas the mass of the star cluster has little effect on the clustering strength. This is consistent with results from other studies that the morphological hierarchy in stellar clustering resembles the same hierarchy as the turbulent interstellar medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nearby dwarf starburst galaxy NGC 5253 hosts a number of young, massive star clusters, the two youngest of which are centrally concentrated and surrounded by thermal radio emission (the “radio nebula”). To investigate the role of these clusters in the starburst energetics, we combine new and archival Hubble Space Telescope images of NGC 5253 with wavelength coverage from 1500 Å to 1.9 μm in 13 filters. These include Hα, Pβ, and Pα, and the imaging from the Hubble Treasury Program LEGUS (Legacy Extragalactic UV Survey). The extraordinarily well-sampled spectral energy distributions enable modeling with unprecedented accuracy the ages, masses, and extinctions of the nine optically brightest clusters (MV < −8.8) and the two young radio nebula clusters. The clusters have ages ∼1–15 Myr and masses ∼1 × 104–2.5 × 105M⊙. The clusters’ spatial location and ages indicate that star formation has become more concentrated toward the radio nebula over the last ∼15 Myr. The most massive cluster is in the radio nebula; with a mass ∼2.5 × 105M⊙ and an age ∼1 Myr, it is 2–4 times less massive and younger than previously estimated. It is within a dust cloud with AV ∼ 50 mag, and shows a clear near-IR excess, likely from hot dust. The second radio nebula cluster is also ∼1 Myr old, confirming the extreme youth of the starburst region. These two clusters account for about half of the ionizing photon rate in the radio nebula, and will eventually supply about 2/3 of the mechanical energy in present-day shocks. Additional sources are required to supply the remaining ionizing radiation, and may include very massive stars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]