Connecting stellar and galactic scales: Energetic feedback from stellar wind bubbles to supernova remnants

¹ Argelander-Institut für Astronomie, Auf dem Hügel 71, 53121 Bonn, Germany
² Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Astronomy and Astrophysics Section, DIAS Dunsink Observatory, Dublin D15 XR2R, Ireland
³ SISSA, International School for Advanced Studies, Via Bonomea 265, 34136 Trieste, TS, Italy
⁴ Dipartimento di Fisica – Sezione di Astronomia, Università di Trieste, Via Tiepolo 11, 34131 Trieste, Italy
⁵ IFPU, Institute for Fundamental Physics of the Universe, Via Beirut 2, 34151 Trieste, Italy

^★ Corresponding author; yfichtner@astro.uni-bonn.de

Received: 16 February 2024
Accepted: 6 August 2024

Abstract

Context. Energy and momentum feedback from stars is a key element in models of galaxy formation and interstellar medium (ISM) dynamics, but resolving the relevant length scales in order to directly include this feedback remains beyond the reach of current-generation simulations.

Aims. We aim to constrain the energy feedback of winds, photoionisation, and supernovae (SNe) from massive stars.

Methods. We measure the thermal and kinetic energy imparted to the ISM on various length scales, which we calculate from high-resolution 1D radiation-hydrodynamics simulations. Our grid of simulations covers a broad range of densities, metallicities, and state-of-the-art evolutionary models of single and binary stars.

Results. A single star or binary system can carve a cavity of tens of parsecs (pc) in size into the surrounding medium. During the pre-SN phase, post-main sequence stellar winds and photoionisation dominate. While SN explosions dominate the total energy budget, the pre-SN feedback is of great importance by reducing the circumstellar gas density and delaying the onset of radiative losses in the SN remnant. Contrary to expectations, the metallicity dependence of the stellar wind has little effect on the cumulative energy imparted by feedback to the ISM; the only requirement is the existence of a sufficient level of pre-SN radiative and mechanical feedback. The ambient medium density determines how much and when feedback energy reaches distances of ≳10–20 pc and affects the division between kinetic and thermal feedback.

Conclusions. Our results can be used as a subgrid model for feedback in large-scale simulations of galaxies. The results reinforce that the uncertain mapping of stellar evolution sequences to SN explosion energy is very important for determining the overall feedback energy from a stellar population.