A multi-wavelength study of nearby starburst galaxy M 82
Abstract
We present a multi-wavelength study of the nearby starburst galaxy M 82 by combining high-resolution Far-ultraviolet (FUV) imaging from the Ultra-Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) onboard AstroSat and archival Chandra X-ray observations. Using FUV flux measurements, we estimate a spatially-resolved star formation rate (SFR) across several star-forming clumps within a radius of 3.6 kpc, finding a total SFR of 0.022 M yr. The H recombination line flux yields an SFR of 0.010 M yr, while the infrared-based SFR derived from 24 emission is significantly higher at 16 - 18 M yr, suggesting that a substantial fraction of star formation in M 82 is heavily dust-obscured. Morphological comparison of FUV, H, mid-infrared, and soft X-ray emission reveals a strong spatial correlation, tracing multi-phase outflows along the galaxy's minor axis. X-ray spectral analysis using a three-temperature model shows enhanced abundances of Ne, Mg, Si, and S, consistent with enrichment from Type-II supernovae. These results demonstrate the importance of combining UV, optical, IR, and X-ray observations to probe both obscured and unobscured star formation, the metal enrichment, and the outflow-driven evolution of starburst galaxies.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2602.20786,
title = {A multi-wavelength study of nearby starburst galaxy M 82},
author = {Nilkanth Vagshette and Satish S. Sonkamble and Madhav Patil and Sachindra Naik and Ilani Loubser},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2602.20786},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
Accepted for publication in Astrophysics (Ap) Journal