Abstract

Contributed Talk - Splinter StarFormation   (MW-1250)

Using Wolf-Rayet regions in nearby galaxies to study star formation and stellar feedback

Eric Liang, Kathryn Kreckel, etc
Heidelberg University

The onset of star formation from molecular clouds and the details of stellar feedback to the interstellar medium are among the most important yet unresolved mysteries in galaxy evolution. Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars are the post–main sequence stage of high-mass stars, with stellar ages of 2-10 Myr. Thanks to such short lifetime and strong stellar winds, they are ideal sites to study star formation and stellar feedback. With the newly available sample of 28 nearby galaxies from the PHANGS-MUSE survey, I will present a WR region catalogue at physical resolutions of ~50 pc. I will discuss interesting metallicity distribution of the WR population in comparison to other HII regions. In the future, this catalogue also has potential to test models of stochastic IMF sampling and stellar population synthesis.