Abstract
We report high spatial and spectral resolution [Fe II] 1.644 μm Fabry-Perot imaging observations of M82. We present extinction-corrected [Fe II] images and discuss the nature of compact [Fe II] emission regions revealed by these new data. We conclude that these [Fe II] sources trace a population of supernova remnants in M82 that are substantially older than those revealed previously on 6 cm radiographs. In addition, we find that M82 contains a distributed [Fe II] emission component that is extended along the southern minor axis and that accounts for 90% of the galaxy's [Fe II] luminosity. We interpret this extended emission as tracing disk material entrained in a super wind that has broken out of the galactic disk to the south. We find that the [Fe II]/Brγ line ratio throughout M82 correlates with the age of the starburst as reflected by the color of the photospheric emission from the galaxy's stars. This correlation suggests that the [Fe II] emission regions in M82 are colocated with a post-main-sequence stellar population. The engineering details of our Fabry-Perot imaging methodology are also discussed.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 105-112 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Astrophysical Journal |
Volume | 476 |
Issue number | 1 PART I |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1997 |
Keywords
- Galaxies: individual (M82)
- Galaxies: stellar content
- Galaxies: structure
- Infrared: galaxies
- Supernova remnants
- Techniques: interferometric