Bibcode
Westmoquette, M. S.; Smith, L. J.; Gallagher, J. S.; Exter, K. M.
Bibliographical reference
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 381, Issue 3, pp. 913-931.
Advertised on:
11
2007
Citations
42
Refereed citations
39
Description
We present a set of four Gemini-North Multi-Object Spectrograph/integral
field unit (IFU) observations of the central disturbed regions of the
dwarf irregular starburst galaxy NGC 1569, surrounding the well-known
superstar clusters A and B. This continues on directly from a companion
paper, in which we describe the data reduction and analysis techniques
employed and present the analysis of one of the IFU pointings. By
decomposing the emission-line profiles across the IFU fields, we map out
the properties of each individual component identified and identify a
number of relationships and correlations that allow us to investigate in
detail the state of the ionized interstellar medium (ISM). Our
observations support and expand on the main findings from the analysis
of the first IFU position, where we conclude that a broad (<~400
kms-1) component underlying the bright nebular emission lines
is produced in a turbulent mixing layer on the surface of cool gas
knots, set up by the impact of the fast-flowing cluster winds. We
discuss the kinematic, electron-density and excitation maps of each
region in detail and compare our results to previous studies. Our
analysis reveals a very complex environment with many overlapping and
superimposed components, including dissolving gas knots, rapidly
expanding shocked shells and embedded ionizing sources, but no evidence
for organized bulk motions. We conclude that the four IFU positions
presented here lie well within the starburst region where energy is
injected, and, from the lack of substantial ordered gas flows, within
the quasi-hydrostatic zone of the wind interior to the sonic point. The
net outflow occurs at radii beyond 100-200 pc, but our data imply that
mass-loading of the hot ISM is active even at the roots of the wind.