Cosmic Rays and Magnetic Fields in the Core and Halo of the Starburst M82: Implications for Galactic Wind Physics

TL;DR

This study models cosmic rays and magnetic fields in galaxy M82 to understand their influence on galactic winds, revealing that magnetic fields and high advection speeds are key to reproducing observed emissions, while cosmic rays play a limited role in driving outflows.

Contribution

The paper develops detailed two-dimensional models of M82's cosmic rays and magnetic fields, providing new constraints on their roles in galactic wind dynamics.

Findings

Low central cosmic ray pressures limit their role in driving outflows.

Strong magnetic fields and high advection speeds are necessary to match observations.

Relativistic bremsstrahlung significantly influences the synchrotron spectrum.

Abstract

Cosmic rays (CRs) and magnetic fields may be dynamically important in driving large-scale galactic outflows from rapidly star-forming galaxies. We construct two-dimensional axisymmetric models of the local starburst and super-wind galaxy M82 using the CR propagation code GALPROP. Using prescribed gas density and magnetic field distributions, wind profiles, CR injection rates, and stellar radiation fields, we simultaneously fit both the integrated gamma-ray emission and the spatially-resolved multi-frequency radio emission extended along M82's minor axis. We explore the resulting constraints on the gas density, magnetic field strength, CR energy density, and the assumed CR advection profile. In accord with earlier one-zone studies, we generically find low central CR pressures, strong secondary electron/positron production, and an important role for relativistic bremsstrahlung losses in shaping the synchrotron spectrum. We find that the relatively low central CR density produces CR pressure gradients that are weak compared to gravity, strongly limiting the role of CRs in driving M82's fast and mass-loaded galactic outflow. Our models require strong magnetic fields and advection speeds of order ~1000 km/s on kpc scales along the minor axis in order to reproduce the extended radio emission. Degeneracies between the controlling physical parameters of the model and caveats to these findings are discussed.