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arXiv · 1111.1654

Radioactive and kinematic tracers of feedback from massive stars

R. Voss
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Abstract

The mixing of ejecta from young stars into the interstellar medium is an important process in the interplay between star formation and galaxy evolution. A unique window into these processes is provided by the radioactive isotopes $^{26}$Al, traced by its $γ$-ray decay lines at 1.8 MeV. With a mean lifetime of $\sim$1 Myr it is a long-term tracer of nucleosynthesis for massive stars. Our population synthesis code models the ejection of $^{26}$Al, together with the $^{60}$Fe, the kinetic energy and UV radiation for a population of massive stars. We have applied the code to study the nearby Orion region and the more massive Carina region and found good agreement with observational constraints.

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R. Voss. 2011-11-07. Radioactive and kinematic tracers of feedback from massive stars. https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf%2F20121910004

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