Studying the multi-phase interstellar medium in the Large Magellanic Cloud with SRG/eROSITA -- I. Analysis of diffuse X-ray emission
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2025
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| _version_ | 1866909742526365696 |
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| author | Mayer, Martin G. F. Sasaki, Manami Haberl, Frank Tsuge, Kisetsu Fukui, Yasuo Maitra, Chandreyee Filipovic, Miroslav D. Smeaton, Zachary J. Staveley-Smith, Lister Koribalski, Baerbel Points, Sean Kavanagh, Patrick |
| author_facet | Mayer, Martin G. F. Sasaki, Manami Haberl, Frank Tsuge, Kisetsu Fukui, Yasuo Maitra, Chandreyee Filipovic, Miroslav D. Smeaton, Zachary J. Staveley-Smith, Lister Koribalski, Baerbel Points, Sean Kavanagh, Patrick |
| contents | The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), being a nearby and actively star-forming satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, is an ideal site to observe the multi-phase interstellar medium (ISM) of a galaxy across the electromagnetic spectrum. We aim to exploit the available SRG/eROSITA all-sky survey data to study the distribution, composition and properties of the diffuse X-ray emitting hot gas in the LMC. We construct multi-band X-ray images of the LMC, reflecting the morphology and temperatures of the diffuse hot gas. By performing spatially resolved X-ray spectroscopy of 175 regions, we constrain the distribution, physical state, and composition of the hot ISM phase throughout the LMC. We combine our constraints with multiwavelength data to obtain a comprehensive view of the different ISM phases.
We measure a total X-ray luminosity of the hot ISM phase of $1.9\times10^{38}\,\mathrm{erg\,s^{-1}}$ ($0.2-5.0\,\mathrm{keV}$ band), and constrain its thermal energy to around $5\times10^{54}\,\mathrm{erg}$. The typical density and temperature of the X-ray emitting plasma are around $5\times10^{-3}\,\mathrm{cm^{-3}}$ and $0.25\,\mathrm{keV}$, respectively, with both exhibiting broad peaks in the southeast of the LMC. The observed degree of X-ray absorption correlates strongly with the distribution of foreground HI gas, whereas a spatial anticorrelation between the hot and cold ISM phases is visible on sub-kpc scales within the disk. The abundances of light metals show a strong gradient throughout the LMC, with the north and east exhibiting a strong $α$-enhancement, as expected from observed massive stellar populations there. In contrast, the enigmatic ``X-ray spur'' exhibits a local deficit in $α$-elements, and a peak in hot-gas pressure at $P/k\sim10^5\,\mathrm{K\,cm^{-3}}$, consistent with a dominant energy input through tidally driven gas collisions. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_23698 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Studying the multi-phase interstellar medium in the Large Magellanic Cloud with SRG/eROSITA -- I. Analysis of diffuse X-ray emission Mayer, Martin G. F. Sasaki, Manami Haberl, Frank Tsuge, Kisetsu Fukui, Yasuo Maitra, Chandreyee Filipovic, Miroslav D. Smeaton, Zachary J. Staveley-Smith, Lister Koribalski, Baerbel Points, Sean Kavanagh, Patrick High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena Astrophysics of Galaxies The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), being a nearby and actively star-forming satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, is an ideal site to observe the multi-phase interstellar medium (ISM) of a galaxy across the electromagnetic spectrum. We aim to exploit the available SRG/eROSITA all-sky survey data to study the distribution, composition and properties of the diffuse X-ray emitting hot gas in the LMC. We construct multi-band X-ray images of the LMC, reflecting the morphology and temperatures of the diffuse hot gas. By performing spatially resolved X-ray spectroscopy of 175 regions, we constrain the distribution, physical state, and composition of the hot ISM phase throughout the LMC. We combine our constraints with multiwavelength data to obtain a comprehensive view of the different ISM phases. We measure a total X-ray luminosity of the hot ISM phase of $1.9\times10^{38}\,\mathrm{erg\,s^{-1}}$ ($0.2-5.0\,\mathrm{keV}$ band), and constrain its thermal energy to around $5\times10^{54}\,\mathrm{erg}$. The typical density and temperature of the X-ray emitting plasma are around $5\times10^{-3}\,\mathrm{cm^{-3}}$ and $0.25\,\mathrm{keV}$, respectively, with both exhibiting broad peaks in the southeast of the LMC. The observed degree of X-ray absorption correlates strongly with the distribution of foreground HI gas, whereas a spatial anticorrelation between the hot and cold ISM phases is visible on sub-kpc scales within the disk. The abundances of light metals show a strong gradient throughout the LMC, with the north and east exhibiting a strong $α$-enhancement, as expected from observed massive stellar populations there. In contrast, the enigmatic ``X-ray spur'' exhibits a local deficit in $α$-elements, and a peak in hot-gas pressure at $P/k\sim10^5\,\mathrm{K\,cm^{-3}}$, consistent with a dominant energy input through tidally driven gas collisions. |
| title | Studying the multi-phase interstellar medium in the Large Magellanic Cloud with SRG/eROSITA -- I. Analysis of diffuse X-ray emission |
| topic | High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena Astrophysics of Galaxies |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.23698 |