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Li Ji

Publications and source records attributed to Li Ji.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Unleashing Embodied Task Planning Ability in LLMs via Reinforcement Learning

Large Language Models (LLMs) have demonstrated remarkable capabilities across various tasks, yet they face significant challenges in embodied task planning scenarios that require continuous environmental understanding and action generation. Existing approaches generate open-loop action scripts based on static knowledge, making it difficult to learn causal relationships between actions and environmental feedback, particularly in partially observable environments. We introduce Embodied Planner-R1, a novel outcome-driven reinforcement learning framework that enables LLMs to develop interactive capabilities through autonomous exploration with minimal supervision. Our framework incorporates three key innovations: (1) Without human annotations, we employ pure reinforcement learning with group rollout, incorporating in-environment interaction through parallel exploration; (2) completion-driven sparse reward; and (3) Interactive Policy Optimization (IPO) for efficient learning from grouped trajectories. Across two challenging text-based Embodied planning benchmarks, Embodied Planner-R1 achieves impressive completion rates of 97.78% on ALFWorld and 79.92% on ScienceWorld, surpassing prior methods by a large margin, and suffers only a -3.66% drop in previously unseen environments, evidencing strong generalization.

cs.CL↗

The MALATANG survey: Dense gas distribution on sub-kiloparsec scales across the disk of M82

We present observations of HCN J=4-3 and HCO^+ J=4-3 lines obtained with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope as part of the MALATANG survey, combined with archival HCN J=1-0 and HCO^+ J=1-0 data from the Green Bank Telescope, to study the spatial distribution and excitation conditions of dense molecular gas in the disk of M82. We detect HCN J=4-3 and HCO^+ J=4-3 emission within the central region (< 500 pc) of the galaxy, while the J=1-0 emission lines exhibit a more extended spatial distribution (> 700 pc). The dense gas shows a clear double-lobed structure in both spatial distribution and kinematics, with the HCN and HCO^+ J=4-3 lines in the southwest lobe blueshifted by ~ 40 km/s relative to the J=1-0 lines. The HCN J=4-3/1-0 and HCO^+ J=4-3/1-0 line-luminosity ratios range from 0.09 to 0.53 and from 0.14 to 0.87, respectively, with mean values of 0.18 +/- 0.04 and 0.36 +/- 0.06. The HCN ratio is lower than the typical average observed in nearby star-forming galaxies, whereas the HCO^+ ratio is comparatively higher, suggesting that the high-J HCN emission in M82 is significantly sub-thermally excited. Spatially, the peak values of the J=4-3/1-0 ratios are found in the northwest region of M82, coinciding with the galaxy-scale outflow. Elevated HCN/HCO^+ ratios are also detected in roughly the same area, potentially tracing local excitation enhancements driven by the outflow. The HCN/HCO^+ J=4-3 ratio across all detected regions ranges from 0.19 to 1.07 with a mean value of 0.41 +/- 0.11, which is significantly lower than the average J=1-0 ratio of 0.76 +/- 0.08. Both ratios are significantly lower than the average values observed in nearby star-forming galaxies, which could be related to the relatively low gas density and the presence of an extended photo-dissociation region in M82.

astro-ph.GA↗

The warm-hot intergalactic medium in inter-cluster filaments -- A forecast for HUBS observations based on eRASS1 superclusters

Cosmological simulations indicate that nearly half of the baryons in the nearby Universe are in the warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM) phase, and about a half them reside in cosmic filaments connecting galaxy clusters. Recent observational studies using stacked survey data and deep exposures of galaxy cluster outskirts have detected soft X-ray excesses associated with optically identified filaments. However, the physical characteristics of WHIM in filaments remain largely undetermined due to a lack of direct spectral diagnostics of individual targets, which are limited by the spectral resolution of current instruments in the soft X-ray band. We aim to select appropriate targets for WHIM characterization through pointing observations with the future Hot Universe Baryon Surveyor (HUBS) mission, which is designed with eV-level energy resolution in the 0.1-2.0 keV band and a one-square-degree field of view, thus complementing other planned microcalorimetry missions such as Athena. We built a sample of 1577 inter-cluster filaments based on the eRASS1 supercluster catalog and estimated their soft X-ray emission. Their modeled emission and geometrical properties were used to select candidate targets for HUBS observations. Four inter-cluster filaments were selected as the most appropriate candidates. By simulating and analyzing their mock observations, we demonstrated that with 200 ks HUBS exposure for each candidate, the gas properties of individual filaments can be accurately determined, with the temperature constrained to $\pm0.01$ keV, metallicity constrained to $\leq\pm0.03$ solar, and density constrained to $<\pm10\%$. Elemental abundances of O, Ne, Mg, and Fe can be measured separately, providing unprecedented insights into the chemical history of the filament gas. We also show that direct mapping of the WHIM distribution is promising with narrowband imaging of the Oviii line.

astro-ph.GA↗

Modeling the cool gas clumps in the circumgalactic medium

A major challenge in CGM studies is determining the three-dimensional (3D) properties from the observed projected observations. Here, we decompose the 3D gas density and spatial distribution of cool clouds by fitting a cool CGM model with the absorption observations, including the cool gas density, Ly$α$, and Mg II equivalent widths. The clumpiness in the cool CGM is considered by modeling individual clouds. This model has four major components: the radial profile of the cool gas density; the number density of clouds; the absorption properties within individual clouds; and the velocity dispersion in the CGM. The observed cool gas density exhibits a large dispersion of $\approx2-3$ dex within the virial radius ($r_{vir}$). This dispersion can be reproduced with a combination of the projection effect (i.e., distant low-density clouds projected at small radii) and the intrinsic variation in the gas density. By modeling the probability density functions of gas density at different radii, the cool gas density is modeled as a $β$-model with a characteristic gas density of $\log n_{H,0}/{\rm cm^{-3}}=-2.57_{-0.25}^{+0.43}$ at $r_{vir}$ and a slope of $β_c=0.63_{-0.20}^{+0.16}$, and the intrinsic dispersion is $σ_{n_{H}}\approx 0.56_{-0.20}^{+0.19}$ dex. Assuming a cloud mass of $10^4M_\odot$, we further constrain the number density of cool clouds by jointly reproducing Ly$α$ and Mg II equivalent width samples, resulting into a number density of $\log n_{\mathcal{N}_{cl},0}/ r_{vir}^{-3}=4.76^{+0.27}_{-0.21}$ at $r_{vir}$ and a slope of $β_N=0.65^{+0.06}_{-0.07}$. This spatial distribution of the cool CGM leads to a total cool gas mass of $\log M_{cool}/M_\odot=10.01^{+0.06}_{-0.06}$ for $L^*$ galaxies, while varying the cloud mass from $10^3M_\odot$ to $10^6M_\odot$ leads to the total cool CGM mass of $9.62_{-0.07}^{+0.05}$ to $10.46_{-0.05}^{+0.05}$.

astro-ph.GA↗

CO-CHANGES II: spatially resolved IRAM 30M CO line observations of 23 nearby edge-on spiral galaxies

Molecular gas, as the fuel for star formation, and its relationship with atomic gas are crucial for understanding how galaxies regulate their star forming (SF) activities. We conducted IRAM 30m observations of 23 nearby spiral galaxies from the CHANG-ES project to investigatet the distribution of molecular gas and the Kennicutt-Schmidt law. Combining these results with atomic gas masses from previous studies, we aim to investigate the scaling relations that connect the molecular and atomic gas masses with stellar masses and the baryonic Tully-Fisher relation. Based on spatially resolved observations of the three CO lines, we calculated the total molecular gas masses, the ratios between different CO lines, and derived physical parameters such as temperature and optical depth. The median line ratios for nuclear/disk regions are 8.6/6.1 (^{12}\mathrm{CO}/^{13}\mathrm{CO}\ J=1{-}0) and 0.53/0.39 (^{12}\mathrm{CO}\ J=2{-}1/J=1{-}0). Molecular gas mass derived from ^{13}\mathrm{CO} is correlated but systematically lower than that from ^{12}\mathrm{CO}. Most galaxies follow the spatially resolved SF scaling relation with a median gas depletion timescale of approximately 1 Gyr, while a few exhibit shorter timescales of approximately 0.1 Gyr. The molecular-to-atomic gas mass ratio correlates strongly with stellar mass, consistent with previous studies. Galaxies with lower stellar masses show an excess of atomic gas, indicating less efficient conversion to molecular gas. Most galaxies tightly follow the baryonic Tully-Fisher relation, but NGC 2992 and NGC 4594 deviate from the relation due to different physical factors. We find that the ratio of the cold gas (comprising molecular and atomic gas) to the total baryon mass decreases with the gravitational potential of the galaxy, as traced by rotation velocity, which could be due to gas consumption in SF or being heated to the hot phase.

astro-ph.GA↗

Probing the He II re-Ionization ERa via Absorbing C IV Historical Yield (HIERACHY) II: Project Design, Current Status, and Examples of Initial Data Products

The He II reionization epoch is expected to take place at $z\sim3-5$. In this stage, the helium and metals in the inter-galactic medium (IGM) are further ionized with additional contributions from harder non-stellar sources, and some large-scale gravitationally bound systems approach virialization. The "Probing the He II re-Ionization ERa via Absorbing C IV Historical Yield (HIERACHY)" program utilizes high- and medium-resolution spectra of bright background quasars at $z\approx3.9-5.2$ to investigate Ly$α$, C IV, and other metal absorption lines during this epoch. Additionally, we employ narrow-band imaging to search for Ly$α$ emitters associated with C IV absorbers, alongside multi-wavelength observations to identify and study particularly intriguing cases. In this paper, we present the design of the HIERACHY program, its current status, major scientific goals, and examples of initial data products from completed Magellan/MIKE, MagE spectroscopy, and MDM imaging observations. We also provide a brief outlook on future multi-wavelength observations that may significantly impact the related science.

astro-ph.GA↗

Superconductivity in pressurized trilayer La$_4$Ni$_3$O$_{10-δ}$ single crystals

The pursuit of discovering new high-temperature superconductors that diverge from the copper-based paradigm1-3 carries profound implications for elucidating mechanisms behind superconductivity and may also enable new applications4-8. Here, our investigation reveals that application of pressure effectively suppresses the spin and charge order in trilayer nickelate La4Ni3O10-δ single crystals, leading to the emergence of superconductivity with a maximum critical temperature (Tc) of around 30 K at 69.0 GPa. The DC susceptibility measurements confirm a substantial diamagnetic response below Tc, indicating the presence of bulk superconductivity with a volume fraction exceeding 80%. In the normal state, we observe a "strange metal" behavior, characterized by a linear temperature-dependent resistance extending up to 300 K. Furthermore, the layer-dependent superconductivity observed hints at a unique interlayer coupling mechanism specific to nickelates, setting them apart from cuprates in this regard. Our findings provide crucial insights into the fundamental mechanisms underpinning superconductivity, while also introducing a new material platform to explore the intricate interplay between the spin/charge order, flat band structures, interlayer coupling, strange metal behavior and high-temperature superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

Pressure Balance and Energy Budget of the Nuclear Superbubble of NGC 3079

Superbubbles in the nuclear region of galaxies could be produced by the AGN or nuclear starburst via different driving forces. We report analysis of the multi-wavelength data of the kpc-scale nuclear superbubble in NGC 3079, in order to probe the mechanisms driving the expansion of the superbubble. Based on the Chandra X-ray observations, we derive the hot gas thermal pressure inside the bubble, which is about one order of magnitude higher than that of the warm ionized gas traced by optical lines. We derive a [C II]-based star formation rate of ${\rm SFR}\sim1.3\rm~M_\odot~{\rm yr}^{-1}$ from the nuclear region using the SOFIA/FIFI-LS observation. This SFR infers a radiation pressure toward the bubble shells much lower than the thermal pressure of the gases. The VLA radio image infers a magnetic pressure at the northeast cap above the superbubble less than the thermal pressure of the hot gas enclosed in the bubble, but has a clearly larger extension. The magnetic field may thus still help to reconcile the expansion of the bubble. The observed thermal energy of the hot gas enclosed in the bubble requires an energy injection rate of $\gtrsim10^{42}\rm~ergs~s^{-1}$ within the bubble's dynamical age, which is probably larger than the power provided by the current nuclear starburst and the parsec-scale jet. If this is true, stronger past AGN activity may provide an alternative energy source to drive the observed bubble expansion.

astro-ph.GA↗

CHANG-ES. XXX. 10 kpc Radio Lobes in The Sombrero Galaxy

We report the discovery of the 10 kilo-parsec (kpc) scale radio lobes in the Sombrero galaxy (NGC 4594), using data from the Continuum Halos in Nearby Galaxies - an Expanded Very Large Array (VLA) Survey (CHANG-ES) project. We further examine the balance between the magnetic pressure inside the lobes and the thermal pressure of the ambient hot gas. At the radii $r$ of ~(1-10) kpc, the magnetic pressure inside the lobes and the thermal pressure of the ambient hot gas are generally in balance. This implies that the jets could expand into the surroundings at least to r ~ 10 kpc. The feedback from the active galactic nucleus (AGN) jet responsible for the large-scale lobes may help to explain the unusually high X-ray luminosity of this massive quiescent isolated disk galaxy, although more theoretical work is needed to further examine this possibility.

astro-ph.GA↗

CO-CHANGES I: IRAM 30m CO Observations of Molecular Gas in the Sombrero Galaxy

Molecular gas plays a critical role in explaining the quiescence of star formation (SF) in massive isolated spiral galaxies, which could be a result of either the low molecular gas content and/or the low SF efficiency. We present IRAM 30m observations of the CO lines in the Sombrero galaxy (NGC~4594), the most massive spiral at $d\lesssim30\rm~Mpc$. We detect at least one of the three CO lines covered by our observations in all 13 observed positions located at the galactic nucleus and along a $\sim25\rm~kpc$-diameter dusty ring. The total extrapolated molecular gas mass of the galaxy is $M_{\rm H_2}\approx4\times10^{8}\rm~M_\odot$. The measured maximum CO gas rotation velocity of $\approx379\rm~km~s^{-1}$ suggests that NGC~4594 locates in a dark matter halo with a mass $M_{\rm200}\gtrsim10^{13}\rm~M_\odot$. Comparing to other galaxy samples, NGC~4594 is extremely gas poor and SF inactive, but the SF efficiency is apparently not inconsistent with that predicted by the Kennicutt-Schmidt law, so there is no evidence of enhanced SF quenching in this extremely massive spiral with a huge bulge. We also calculate the predicted gas supply rate from various sources to replenish the cold gas consumed in SF, and find that the galaxy must experienced a starburst stage at high redshift, then the leftover or recycled gas provides SF fuels to maintain the gradual growth of the galactic disk at a gentle rate.

astro-ph.GA↗

Anomaly Detection in Automated Fibre Placement: Learning with Data Limitations

Conventional defect detection systems in Automated Fibre Placement (AFP) typically rely on end-to-end supervised learning, necessitating a substantial number of labelled defective samples for effective training. However, the scarcity of such labelled data poses a challenge. To overcome this limitation, we present a comprehensive framework for defect detection and localization in Automated Fibre Placement. Our approach combines unsupervised deep learning and classical computer vision algorithms, eliminating the need for labelled data or manufacturing defect samples. It efficiently detects various surface issues while requiring fewer images of composite parts for training. Our framework employs an innovative sample extraction method leveraging AFP's inherent symmetry to expand the dataset. By inputting a depth map of the fibre layup surface, we extract local samples aligned with each composite strip (tow). These samples are processed through an autoencoder, trained on normal samples for precise reconstructions, highlighting anomalies through reconstruction errors. Aggregated values form an anomaly map for insightful visualization. The framework employs blob detection on this map to locate manufacturing defects. The experimental findings reveal that despite training the autoencoder with a limited number of images, our proposed method exhibits satisfactory detection accuracy and accurately identifies defect locations. Our framework demonstrates comparable performance to existing methods, while also offering the advantage of detecting all types of anomalies without relying on an extensive labelled dataset of defects.

cs.CV↗

Scientific Objectives of the Hot Universe Baryon Surveyor (HUBS) Mission

The Hot Universe Baryon Surveyor (HUBS) is a proposed space-based X-ray telescope for detecting X-ray emissions from the hot gas content in our universe. With its unprecedented spatially-resolved high-resolution spectroscopy and large field of view, the HUBS mission will be uniquely qualified to measure the physical and chemical properties of the hot gas in the interstellar medium, the circumgalactic medium, the intergalactic medium, and the intracluster medium. These measurements will be valuable for two key scientific goals of HUBS, namely to unravel the AGN and stellar feedback physics that governs the formation and evolution of galaxies, and to probe the baryon budget and multi-phase states from galactic to cosmological scales. In addition to these two goals, the HUBS mission will also help us solve some problems in the fields of galaxy clusters, AGNs, diffuse X-ray backgrounds, supernova remnants, and compact objects. This paper discusses the perspective of advancing these fields using the HUBS telescope.

astro-ph.GA↗

Directional carrier transport in micrometer-thick gallium oxide films for high-performance deep-ultraviolet photodetection

Incorporating emerging ultrawide bandgap semiconductors with a metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) architecture is highly desired for deep-ultraviolet (DUV) photodetection. However, synthesis-induced defects in semiconductors complicate the rational design of MSM DUV photodetectors due to their dual role as carrier donors and trap centers, leading to a commonly observed trade-off between responsivity and response time. Here, we demonstrate a simultaneous improvement of these two parameters in ε-Ga2O3 MSM photodetectors by establishing a low-defect diffusion barrier for directional carrier transport. Specifically, using a micrometer thickness far exceeding its effective light absorption depth, the ε-Ga2O3 MSM photodetector achieves over 18-fold enhancement of responsivity and simultaneous reduction of the response time, which exhibits a state-of-the-art photo-to-dark current ratio near 10^8, a superior responsivity of >1300 A/W, an ultrahigh detectivity of >10^16 Jones and a decay time of 123 ms. Combined depth-profile spectroscopic and microscopic analysis reveals the existence of a broad defective region near the lattice-mismatched interface followed by a more defect-free dark region, while the latter one serves as a diffusion barrier to assist frontward carrier transport for substantially enhancing the photodetector performance. This work reveals the critical role of the semiconductor defect profile in tuning carrier transport for fabricating high-performance MSM DUV photodetectors.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

X-ray Spectroscopic Evidence of Charge Exchange Emission in the Disk of M51

In the disks of spiral galaxies, diffuse soft X-ray emission is known to be strongly correlated with star-forming regions. However, this emission is not simply from a thermal-equilibrium plasma and its origin remains greatly unclear. In this work, we present an X-ray spectroscopic analysis of the emission from the northern hot spot; a region with enhanced star-formation off the nucleus of M51. Based on the high spectral resolution data from XMM-Newton/RGS observations, we unambiguously detect a high $G$ ratio ($3.2^{+6.9}_{-1.5}$) of the OVII He$α$ triplet. This high $G$ ratio is also spatially confirmed by oxygen emission-line maps from the same data. A physical model consisting of a thermal plasma and its charge exchange (CX) with neutral cool gas gives a good explanation for the $G$ ratio and the entire RGS spectra. This model also gives a satisfactory characterization of the complementary Chandra/ACIS-S data, which enables a direct imaging of the diffuse emission, tracing the hot plasma across the galaxy. The hot plasma has a similar characteristic temperature of ~0.34 keV and an approximately solar metallicity. The CX contributes ~50% to the diffuse emission in the 0.4-1.8 keV band, suggesting an effective hot/cool gas interface area about five times the geometric area of the M51 disk. Therefore, the CX appears to play a major role in the soft X-ray production and may be used as a powerful tool to probe the interface astrophysics, important for studying galactic ecosystems.

astro-ph.GA↗

A Semi-Analytical Model for the Formation and Evolution of Radio Relics in Galaxy Clusters

Radio relics are Mpc-sized synchrotron sources located in the peripheral regions of galaxy clusters. Models based on the diffuse shock acceleration (DSA) scenario have been widely accepted to explain the formation of radio relics. However, a critical challenge to these models is that most observed shocks seem too weak to generate detectable emission, unless fossil electrons, a population of mildly energetic electrons that have been accelerated previously, are included in the models. To address this issue, we present a new semi-analytical model to describe the formation and evolution of radio relics by incorporating fossil relativistic electrons into DSA theory, which is constrained by a sample of 14 observed relics, and employ the Press-Schechter formalism to simulate the relics in a $20^{\circ} \times 20^{\circ}$ sky field at 50, 158, and 1400 MHz, respectively. Results show that fossil electrons contribute significantly to the radio emission, which can generate radiation four orders of magnitude brighter than that solely produced by thermal electrons at 158 MHz, and the power distribution of our simulated radio relic catalog can reconcile the observed $P_{1400}-M_{\mathrm{vir}}$ relation. We predict that $7.1\%$ clusters with $M_{\mathrm{vir}} > 1.2\times 10^{14}\,\mathrm{M}_{\odot}$ would host relics at 158 MHz, which is consistent with the result of $10 \pm 6\%$ given by the LoTSS DR2. It is also found that radio relics are expected to cause severe foreground contamination in future EoR experiments, similar to that of radio halos. The possibility of AGN providing seed fossil relativistic electrons is evaluated by calculating the number of radio-loud AGNs that a shock is expected to encounter during its propagation.

astro-ph.CO↗

CHANG-ES XXIX: The Sub-kpc Nuclear Bubble of NGC 4438

AGN bubbles could play an important role in accelerating high-energy CRs and galactic feedback. Only in nearby galaxies could we have high enough angular resolution in multi-wavelengths to study the sub-kpc environment of the AGN, where the bubbles are produced and strongly interact with the surrounding ISM. In this paper, we present the latest Chandra observations of the Virgo cluster galaxy NGC 4438, which hosts multi-scale bubbles detected in various bands. The galaxy also has low current star formation activity, so these bubbles are evidently produced by the AGN rather than a starburst. We present spatially resolved spectral analysis of the Chandra data of the $\sim3^{\prime\prime}\times5^{\prime\prime}$ ($\sim200{\rm~pc}\times350\rm~pc$) nuclear bubble of NGC 4438. The power law tail in the X-ray spectra can be most naturally explained as synchrotron emission from high-energy CR leptons. The hot gas temperature increases, while the overall contribution of the non-thermal X-ray emission decreases with the vertical distance from the galactic plane. We calculate the synchrotron cooling timescale of the CR leptons responsible for the non-thermal hard X-ray emission to be only a few tens to a few hundreds of years. The thermal pressure of the hot gas is about three times the magnetic pressure, but the current data cannot rule out the possibility that they are still in pressure balance. The spatially resolved spectroscopy presented in this paper may have important constraints on how the AGN accelerates CRs and drives outflows. We also discover a transient X-ray source only $\sim5^{\prime\prime}$ from the nucleus of NGC 4438. The source was not detected in 2002 and 2008, but became quite X-ray bright in March 2020, with an average 0.5-7 keV luminosity of $\sim10^{39}\rm~ergs~s^{-1}$.

astro-ph.HE↗

Chandra view of Abell 407: the central compact group of galaxies and the interaction between the radio AGN and the ICM

Abell 407 (A407) is a unique galaxy cluster hosting a central compact group of nine galaxies (named as 'Zwicky's Nonet'; G1 - G9 in this work) within a 30 kpc radius region. The cluster core also hosts a luminous radio active galactic nucleus (AGN), 4C 35.06 with helically twisted jets extending over 200 kpc. With a 44 ks Chandra observation of A407, we characterize the X-ray properties of its intracluster medium (ICM) and central galaxies. The mean X-ray temperature of A407 is 2.7 keV and the $M_{200}$ is $1.9 \times 10^{14} {M_{\odot}}$. We suggest that A407 has a weak cool core at $r < 60$ kpc scales and at its very center, $< 1$-2 kpc radius, a small galaxy corona associated with the strong radio AGN. We also conclude that the AGN 4C 35.06 host galaxy is most likely G3. We suggest that the central group of galaxies is undergoing a `slow merge' procedure. The range of the merging time-scale is $0.3\sim2.3$ Gyr and the stellar mass of the future brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) will be $7.4\times10^{11} M_{\odot}$. We find that the regions which overlap with the radio jets have higher temperature and metallicity. This is consistent with AGN feedback activity. The central entropy is higher than that for other clusters, which may be due to the AGN feedback and/or merging activity. With all these facts, we suggest that A407 is a unique and rare system in the local universe that could help us to understand the formation of a massive BCG.

astro-ph.GA↗

Deep Chandra observations of diffuse hot plasma in M83

It is widely believed that galaxy formation and evolution is regulated by stellar mechanical feedback in forms of fast stellar winds and supernova explosions. However, the coupling of this feedback with the interstellar medium remains poorly understood. We examine how the coupling may be traced by diffuse soft X-ray emission in M83 -- a nearby face-on spiral galaxy undergoing active star formation, based chiefly on 729~ks Chandra observations. Our main findings are 1) the X-ray emission is enhanced not only along the galaxy's grand spiral arms, but also clearly in their downstreams; 2) the spectrum of the emission can be well characterized by a super-solar metallicity plasma with a lognormal temperature distribution, plus an X-ray absorption of a lognormal column density distribution; 3) the intensity of the emission is strongly anti-correlated with the dust obscuration seen in optical images of the galaxy. These findings suggest A) the morphology of the X-ray emission is likely due to the convolution of the feedback heating of the plasma with its thermal and dynamical evolution; B) the X-ray emission, accounting for ~10% of the feedback energy input rate, probably traces only the high-energy tail of the radiation from the plasma; C) a good fraction of the recent star forming regions seems sufficiently energetic to produce multi-phased outflows, likely responsible for much of the dust obscuration and X-ray absorption. Direct confrontation of the findings with theories/simulations could help to understand the underlying astrophysics of the coupling and how the hot plasma shapes the interstellar medium.

astro-ph.GA↗