Massive stars: Feedback effects in the local universe

Abstract

We examine self-consistent parameterizations of the high-mass stellar population and resulting feedback, including mechanical, radiative, and chemical feedback, as we understand them locally. To date, it appears that the massive star population follows simple power-law clustering that extends down to individual field OB stars, and the robust stellar IMF seems to have a constant upper-mass limit. These properties result in specific patterns in the HII region LF and ionization of the diffuse, warm ionized medium. The resulting SNe generate superbubbles whose size distribution is also described by a simple power law, and from which a galaxy's porosity parameter is easily derived. A critical star-formation threshold can then be estimated, above which the escape of Lyman continuum photons, hot gas, and nucleosynthetic products is predicted. A first comparison with a large H-alpha sample of galaxies is broadly consistent with this prediction, and suggests that ionizing photons likely escapes from starburst galaxies. The superbubble size distribution also offers a basis for a Simple Inhomogeneous Model for galactic chemical evolution, which is especially relevant to metal-poor systems and instantaneous metallicity distributions. This model offers an alternative interpretation of the Galactic halo metallicity distribution and emphasizes the relative importance of star-formation intensity, in addition to age, in a system's evolution. The fraction of zero-metallicity, Population III stars is easily predicted for any such model. We emphasize that all these phenomena can be modeled in a simple, analytic framework over an extreme range in scale, offering powerful tools for understanding the role of massive stars in the cosmos. (Abridged)