A Fast, Hot Wind from a Nuclear Starburst
Abstract
Galaxies with intense star formation often host multiphase, galaxy-scale winds powered by supernovae and fast stellar winds. These are strong enough to disrupt the star-forming interstellar medium, and they chemically enrich the surrounding circumgalactic medium. However, their launching mechanism remains unknown. Here we show that thermal gas pressure is sufficient to drive the multiphase wind in the prototypical starburst galaxy M82. Using a high energy-resolution ($ΔE = 4.5$ eV) XRISM Resolve spectrum, including detections of FeXXV 6.7 keV, ArXVII 3.1 keV, and SXVI 2.6 keV, we measure the temperature ($T = 2.3^{+0.5}_{-0.2} \times 10^7$ K) and mass ($M \approx 6 \pm 2 \times 10^5$ M$_\odot$) of the hot gas in the starburst and provide the first direct measurement of its line-of-sight velocity dispersion ($σ= 595^{+464}_{-128}$ km s$^{-1}$). These values are consistent with a freely-expanding wind exceeding the galactic escape velocity. The size of the FeXXV-emitting region suggests a hot gas outflow rate of $\dot{M} \approx 4$ M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$, carrying a total energy of $\dot{E} \approx 2 \times 10^{42}$ erg s$^{-1}$. This is sufficient to drive the molecular, atomic, and ionized outflows while transporting up to $\approx 2$ M$_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$ of hot gas to the intergalactic medium. The estimated supernova rate implies that $\approx$ 60% of the supernova energy must be thermalized in hot gas. Our results suggest that additional driving mechanisms, such as cosmic-ray pressure, are not required to launch the wind.
Authors 100
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University of Maryland, Baltimore County
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Baltimore County (UMBC) , Baltimore , MD , 21250 USA
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Department of Astronomy , University of Geneva , Versoix CH-1290 , Switzerland
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Department of Physics , Ehime University , Ehime 790-8577 , Japan
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Department of Physics , University of Tokyo , Tokyo 113-0033 , Japan
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Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
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Department of Physics , Technion , Technion City , Haifa 3200003 , Israel
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Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian
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Center for Astrophysics -Harvard-Smithsonian , MA 02138 , USA
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Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
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Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory , CA 94550 , USA
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Department of Astronomy , University of Michigan , MI 48109 , USA
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Space Research Organisation Netherlands
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SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research , Leiden , The Netherlands . 14
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NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , MD 20771 , USA
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University of Maryland, Baltimore County
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Baltimore County (UMBC) , Baltimore , MD , 21250 USA
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Centre for Extragalactic Astronomy , Department of Physics , University of Durham , South Road , Durham DH1 3LE , UK
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Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency · Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
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Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) , Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) , Kanagawa 252-5210 , Japan
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Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency · Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
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Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) , Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) , Kanagawa 252-5210 , Japan
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Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
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Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory , CA 94550 , USA
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Department of Astronomy , University of Geneva , Versoix CH-1290 , Switzerland
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Department of Economics , Kumamoto Gakuen University , Kumamoto 862-8680 Japan
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Department of Physics , Kyoto University , Kyoto 606-8502 , Japan
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Department of Physics , Tokyo Metropolitan University , Tokyo 192-0397 , Japan
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Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian
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Center for Astrophysics -Harvard-Smithsonian , MA 02138 , USA
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Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency · Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
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Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) , Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) , Kanagawa 252-5210 , Japan
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics , Tokyo Metropolitan University , Tokyo 192-0397 , Japan
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics , Hiroshima University , Hiroshima 739-8526 , Japan
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Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency · Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
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Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) , Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) , Kanagawa 252-5210 , Japan
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Department of Physics , Fujita Health University , Aichi 470-1192 , Japan
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Department of Astronomy and Physics , Saint Mary's University , Nova Scotia B3H 3C3 , Canada
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California Institute of Technology · Goddard Space Flight Center
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California Institute of Technology , Pasadena , CA 91125 , USA
NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , MD 20771 , USA
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Space Research Organisation Netherlands
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SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research , Leiden , The Netherlands . 14
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European Space Agency · European Space Research and Technology Centre
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European Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) , 2200 AG Noordwijk , The Netherlands
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Department of Physics , University of Tokyo , Tokyo 113-0033 , Japan
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Faculty of Engineering , University of Miyazaki , 1-1 Gakuen-Kibanadai-Nishi , Miyazaki , Miyazaki 889-2192 , Japan
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Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency · Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
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Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) , Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) , Kanagawa 252-5210 , Japan
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Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
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Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory , CA 94550 , USA
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NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , MD 20771 , USA
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NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , MD 20771 , USA
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RIKEN Nishina Center , Saitama 351-0198 , Japan
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Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency · Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
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Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) , Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) , Kanagawa 252-5210 , Japan
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Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency · Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
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Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) , Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) , Kanagawa 252-5210 , Japan
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics , Tokyo Metropolitan University , Tokyo 192-0397 , Japan
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics , Tokyo Metropolitan University , Tokyo 192-0397 , Japan
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Leiden University · Leiden Observatory · Space Research Organisation Netherlands
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Leiden Observatory , University of Leiden , P.O. Box 9513 , NL-2300 RA , Leiden , The Netherlands
SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research , Leiden , The Netherlands . 14
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NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , MD 20771 , USA
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research , Massachusetts Institute of Technology , MA 02139 , USA
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Department of Physics , Saitama University , Saitama 338-8570 , Japan
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Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency · Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
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Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) , Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) , Kanagawa 252-5210 , Japan
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NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , MD 20771 , USA
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NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , MD 20771 , USA
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Department of Physics , Rikkyo University , Tokyo 171-8501 , Japan
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Faculty of Physics , Tokyo University of Science , Tokyo 162-8601 , Japan
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Faculty of Science and Technology , Tokyo University of Science , Chiba 278-8510 , Japan
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Shibaura Institute of Technology
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Department of Electronic Information Systems , Shibaura Institute of Technology , Saitama 337-8570 , Japan
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NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , MD 20771 , USA
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Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency · Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
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Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) , Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) , Kanagawa 252-5210 , Japan
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NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , MD 20771 , USA
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Department of Earth and Space Science , Osaka University , Osaka 560-0043 , Japan
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Faculty of Physics , Tokyo University of Science , Tokyo 162-8601 , Japan
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University of Wisconsin System · University of Wisconsin–Madison · University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
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Department of Physics , University of Wisconsin , WI 53706 , USA
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Department of Physics & Astronomy , Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics , University of Waterloo , Ontario N2L 3G1 , Canada
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research , Massachusetts Institute of Technology , MA 02139 , USA
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Department of Astronomy , University of Michigan , MI 48109 , USA
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Department of Physics , Nagoya University , Aichi 464-8602 , Japan
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University of Teacher Education Fukuoka
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Science Research Education Unit , University of Teacher Education Fukuoka , Fukuoka 811-4192 , Japan
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Hiroshima Astrophysical Science Center , Hiroshima University , Hiroshima 739-8526 , Japan
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Faculty of Engineering , University of Miyazaki , 1-1 Gakuen-Kibanadai-Nishi , Miyazaki , Miyazaki 889-2192 , Japan
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Department of Data Science , Tohoku Gakuin University , Miyagi 984-8588
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University of Maryland, College Park
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Department of Astronomy , University of Maryland , College Park , MD 20742 , USA
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College of Science and Engineering , Kanto Gakuin University , Kanagawa 236-8501 , Japan
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Department of Physics , Nagoya University , Aichi 464-8602 , Japan
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European Space Agency · European Space Astronomy Centre
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European Space Agency(ESA) , European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) , E-28692 Madrid , Spain
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Department of Science , Faculty of Science and Engineering , KINDAI University , Osaka 577-8502 , JAPAN
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Department of Teacher Training and School Education , Nara University of Education , Nara 630-8528 , Japan
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Astronomical Institute , Tohoku University , Miyagi 980-8578 , Japan
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Department of Earth and Space Science , Osaka University , Osaka 560-0043 , Japan
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Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency · Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
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Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) , Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) , Kanagawa 252-5210 , Japan
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NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , MD 20771 , USA
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Department of Physics , Nara Women's University , Nara 630-8506 , Japan
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Department of Astronomy , University of Geneva , Versoix CH-1290 , Switzerland
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NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , MD 20771 , USA
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Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian
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Center for Astrophysics -Harvard-Smithsonian , MA 02138 , USA
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NASA / Goddard Space Flight Center , Greenbelt , MD 20771 , USA
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Department of Physics , Saitama University , Saitama 338-8570 , Japan
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School of Science and Technology , Meiji University , Kanagawa , 214-8571 , Japan
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Department of Physics , Rikkyo University , Tokyo 171-8501 , Japan
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics , Tokyo Metropolitan University , Tokyo 192-0397 , Japan
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Physics , Ehime University , Ehime 790-8577 , Japan
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Space Research Organisation Netherlands
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SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research , Leiden , The Netherlands . 14
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Center for Astrophysics Harvard & Smithsonian
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Center for Astrophysics -Harvard-Smithsonian , MA 02138 , USA
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Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics , Yale University , CT 06520-8121 , USA
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Department of Physics , Hiroshima University , Hiroshima 739-8526 , Japan
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