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Issue A&A
Volume 382, Number 3, February II 2002
Page(s) 843 - 859
Section Extragalactic astronomy
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20011679



A&A 382, 843-859 (2002)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20011679

X-ray spectral components of starburst galaxies

M. Persic1 and Y. Rephaeli2, 3

1  Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, via G. B. Tiepolo 11, 34131 Trieste, Italy
2  School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
3  CASS, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA

(Received 31 July 2001 / Accepted 21 November 2001 )

Abstract
X-ray emission processes in starburst galaxies (SBGs) are assessed, with the aim of identifying and characterizing the main spectral components. Our survey of spectral properties, complemented with a model for the evolution of galactic stellar populations, leads to the prediction of a complex spectrum. Comparing the predicted spectral properties with current X-ray measurements of the nearby SBGs M 82 and N253, we draw the following tentative conclusions: 1) X-ray binaries with accreting neutron stars are the main contributors in the 2-15 keV band, and could be responsible for the yet uninterpreted hard component required to fit the observed 0.5-10 keV spectra of SBGs; 2) diffuse thermal plasma contributes at energies $\la$1 keV; 3) nonthermal emission, from Compton scattering of FIR and CMB radiation fields photons off supernova-accelerated relativistic electrons, and AGN-like emission, are likely be the dominant emission at energies $\ga$30 keV; 4) supernova remnants make a relatively minor contribution to the X-ray continuum but may contribute appreciably to the Fe-K emission at 6.7 keV.


Key words: X-ray: galaxies -- galaxies: spiral -- stars: formation

Offprint request: M. Persic, persic@ts.astro.it

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© ESO 2002


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