Interaction of massive stars with their surroundings

TL;DR

This paper reviews how massive stars influence their surroundings and galactic environments, highlighting recent 2D models of HII regions, their energy transfer efficiencies, and the challenges in current modeling techniques.

Contribution

It summarizes recent 2D radiation-driven and wind-blown HII region models, discusses their findings on energy transfer and chemical enrichment, and addresses current modeling limitations.

Findings

Small energy transfer efficiencies in models

Detection of Carbon self-enrichment in Wolf-Rayet phases

Current modeling uncertainties and simplifications

Abstract

Due to their short lifetimes but their enormous energy release in all stages of their lives massive stars are the major engines for the comic matter circuit. They affect not only their close environment but are also responsible to drive mass flows on galactic scales. Recent 2D models of radiation-driven and wind-blown HII regions are summarized which explore the impact of massive stars to the interstellar medium but find surprisingly small energy transfer efficiencies while an observable Carbon self-enrichment in the Wolf-Rayet phase is detected in the warm ionized gas. Finally, the focus is set on state-of-the-art modelling of HII regions and its present weaknesses with respect to uncertainties and simplifications but on a perspective of the requested art of their modelling in the 21st century.