Ionization of HeII in star-forming galaxies by X-rays from cluster winds and superbubbles

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that soft X-ray emission from hot gas in star-forming galaxies, especially from superbubbles, can explain nebular HeII emission, emphasizing the role of low-metallicity environments and stellar feedback.

Contribution

It introduces a model linking hot gas X-ray emission from superbubbles to HeII ionization, highlighting the significance of metallicity and stellar winds in this process.

Findings

Hot gas with temperatures below 2.5 MK can produce enough HeII ionizing photons.

Low-metallicity galaxies have lower gas temperatures and higher HeII ionization rates.

Soft X-rays from superbubbles can power nebular HeII emission in star-forming galaxies.

Abstract

The nature of the sources powering nebular HeII emission in star-forming galaxies remains debated, and various types of objects have been considered, including Wolf-Rayet stars, X-ray binaries, and Population III stars. Modern X-ray observations show the ubiquitous presence of hot gas filling star-forming galaxies. We use a collisional ionization plasma code to compute the specific HeII ionizing flux produced by hot gas and show that if its temperature is not too high (less than 2.5 MK), then the observed levels of soft diffuse X-ray radiation could explain HeII ionization in galaxies. To gain a physical understanding of this result, we propose a model that combines the hydrodynamics of cluster winds and hot superbubbles with observed populations of young massive clusters in galaxies. We find that in low-metallicity galaxies, the temperature of hot gas is lower and the production rate of HeII ionizing photons is higher compared to high-metallicity galaxies. The reason is that the slower stellar winds of massive stars in lower-metallicity galaxies input less mechanical energy in the ambient medium. Furthermore, we show that ensembles of star clusters up to 10-20 Myr old in galaxies can produce enough soft X-rays to induce nebular HeII emission. We discuss observations of the template low-metallicity galaxy I Zw 18 and suggest that the HeII nebula in this galaxy is powered by a hot superbubble. Finally, appreciating the complex nature of stellar feedback, we suggest that soft X-rays from hot superbubbles are among the dominant sources of HeII ionizing flux in low-metallicity star-forming galaxies.