Indirect evidence strongly suggests that starburst-driven outflows (superwinds)are responsible for much of the enrichment and heating of the IGM. X-rayobservations of local superwinds are vital for studying this, as they providethe most direct probe of the violent, high energy, processes that occur in theseoutflows. Our aim is to double the number of edge-on starburst galaxies, fromthe traditional sample of 8 galaxies to 16, with X-ray data of equal quality tothat being obtained by XMM-Newton and Chandra on the traditional sample.Combining the X-ray data with existing multi-wavelength data on these galaxies,this sample will be large enough to allow robust conclusions to be drawn aboutthe physical properties of starburst-driven superwinds.
Instrument
EMOS1, EMOS2, EPN, OM, RGS1, RGS2
Temporal Coverage
2003-02-14T16:15:06Z/2003-02-14T21:30:26Z
Version
17.56_20190403_1200
Mission Description
The European Space Agencys (ESA) X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) was launched by an Ariane 504 on December 10th 1999. XMM-Newton is ESAs second cornerstone of the Horizon 2000 Science Programme. It carries 3 high throughput X-ray telescopes with an unprecedented effective area, and an optical monitor, the first flown on a X-ray observatory. The large collecting area and ability to make long uninterrupted exposures provide highly sensitive observations. Since Earths atmosphere blocks out all X-rays, only a telescope in space can detect and study celestial X-ray sources. The XMM-Newton mission is helping scientists to solve a number of cosmic mysteries, ranging from the enigmatic black holes to the origins of the Universe itself. Observing time on XMM-Newton is being made available to the scientific community, applying for observational periods on a competitive basis.
European Space Agency, Dr David Strickland, 2004, 'Quantifying the energetics of starburst-driven superwinds', 17.56_20190403_1200, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-haaetvv
