Quantifying the Physics of Star Formation Driven Bubbles in Nearby Galaxies

• Applicants: Dr. Kathryn Kreckel; Dr. Eva Schinnerer
• Subject Area: Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 558818801

Galaxies are dynamic systems shaped by a balance of different dynamical processes. In star-forming disk galaxies, the molecular gas is organized into spiral structures, providing the raw material of star formation. The energy and momentum from stars, particularly young and massive ones, inject feedback into the interstellar medium (ISM), affecting the structure and evolution of the galaxy. Massive stars emit radiation, stellar winds, and eventually explode as supernovae (SNe), all of which contribute to shaping the surrounding gas. These feedback processes operate on different scales, from individual stars to entire star clusters, and their cumulative effect can lead to the formation of large-scale structures like superbubbles in the ISM. This project aims to explore the relationship between star formation and the creation of bubbles in nearby galaxies. Traditional methods of linking individual stars to specific gas clouds have proven challenging due to the short lifetimes of both molecular clouds and massive stars. Instead, this study proposes using bubbles as a more robust way to link stars with the surrounding gas. Using data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), we plan to create large statistical samples of bubbles across different galaxies observed by the PHANGS (Physics at High Angular Resolution in Nearby GalaxieS) survey. The multi-wavelength data on these bubbles will be analyzed to understand the physical processes driving their formation and evolution, and how these processes vary across different galactic environments.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: USA
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Adam Leroy